Batman Adventure Chronicles: Black Triage
by Green113
Summary: Batman now finds himself in another world, in another city much like Gotham. Crime rules the city, controlled by monsters who operate in the dark and rule through fear and corruption. Batman must find a way to put an end to crime here before being allowed home. He will butt heads with an organization of busty doctors, crime lords and even his own moral code. Batman x Massive Harem
1. Chapter 1: Clash

Konomi Suzue walked through the streets of Tobioka City, a new city that was built off the coast of Japan not too long ago. She had short red hair, which was a bit longer on both sides of her face, and wore a pair of glasses. She had green eyes with a green jacket, an orange top and a navy blue skirt along with some boots. She was extremely well-endowed, her chest bouncing slightly with every step.

With a coffee in her hand, the busty police officer pulled out a phone and began surfing through her texts, not noticing when she bumped into someone and spilled her coffee all over their shirt.

"Agh! That burns!" The person exclaimed.

In a panicky motion, Suzue tried to desperately wipe it up with her hands but to no avail. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! I'm so clumsy!"

"No, no, it's fine. It was my fault."

"No, I-" She looked up from his shirt to see the man himself. She blushed, as he was quite good-looking. Slicked back black hair, a few strands hanging off in front of his face. Blue eyes, well defined cheekbones and a very charming smile. "I... I..." She was so entranced, she couldn't even speak.

"Please, don't worry about it. Shirts like these aren't too expensive." The man turned to leave when Konomi unconsciously grabbed his arm.

"Wait!"

He turned around, a little surprised. "Hm?"

"I-I, uh... um... I can't just let you go, I mean... I ruined your shirt, so at least let me..." She was looking at her feet the whole time, shy as a school girl. "Repay you..."

The man smiled sweetly. "Miss, are you asking me out on a date?"

She jumped back, blushing even more. "Uh, I mean, I-I'm sorry, if you need to go or if you don't wa-"

He held out his hand. "My name is Ryu Komori. A pleasure to meet you."

She shook his hand meekly. "Konomi Suzue."

"Shall we go, Suzue-san?"

She nodded happily as they walked off to a nearby coffee shop. Riding past them on the street was a silver haired girl on a motorcycle. She was wearing a school uniform. She rode past the cars, past the people, letting the wind blow her hair. She loved it. She truly loved it. It was fast, it was invigorating. It was freedom.

She stopped her bike in an abandoned docking area by the water, moving into an old crate. It descended underground and she rode through a long tunnel, lights shining from above. Eventually, she came out the other side, coming to a parking lot where she could put her bike. She got off, kicking out the stand and walking inside Mochizuki General Hospital.

The hospital itself, while dealing with real patients, was actually a front for a more intense organization, Black Label. A group of highly trained "surgeons" on a mission to rid Tobioka City of all of its "tumors". Tobioka City, while built only 150 years ago, had been plagued by crime ever since. The Chairman of the hospital had other plans and so took it upon himself and his team to exact justice on such a dark city.

In her school uniform, Mikoto Kiba, a girl of average height with a lean body structure, with golden eyes and long white hair, walked into the meeting room. Mikoto had shorter bangs and a small gathering of long hair that hanged down the front of her body. Mikoto had a relatively large bust size as well. In the meeting room, were several other people, all fellow comrades.

Arashi Mikami, her partner, was a tall, lean built male, who had lightly tanned skin; short, spikey, brown hair and brown eyes. The bangs of Arashi were longer than other parts of his hair. He also wore his school uniform.

Yuko Sagiri was the tallest female in the room and was lean built. She had amber eyes and long light brown hair. Yuko's hair was longer than her knees, with her right bangs being long and were kept behind her right ear along with the rest of her hair. Her left bangs were shorter than her right, however they were still longer than her face. This cluster of hair hanged freely in front of her left ear. Along with being the tallest, she was also the bustiest and the most curvaceous, her bust being nearly the size of her head. She wore a purple top with a black skirt. She also wore a doctor's jacket.

Sayo Hitsugi was a slightly tall, lean built person, who had lightly colored skin, with long blue hair and eyes that were a violet color. Her bangs were shorter and went off to the side of her face. Behind her bangs was a grouping of hair that is longer than her bangs, but not as long as the rest of her hair. Along with the rest, she was extremely busty as well, and also wore a nurse's outfit.

Miki Tsurugi was an average height and like everyone else, lean built. She had purple hair and light purple eyes. Her hair was short, save for her bangs, which came down to the middle of her neck. She was fairly well-endowed as well, wearing a doctor's coat and under it, a sleeveless shirt with a leather skirt that parted on the sides.

Oriha Nashida was the youngest of the group, and being so, was short but still lean built as well. She had blue eyes and medium length hair that was a combination of blonde and pink/light purple. Oriha had long bangs and often wore her hair in twin ponytails. She wore a pink skirt and yellow shirt.

The woman who stood beside the chairman, Fiona Ran Winchester, a tall, blond haired woman with pink eyes and glasses. Her hair was short, barely coming down to her shoulders and she was the least bustiest out of the women, wearing a black suit with a blue undershirt.

Finally, the chairman himself, Masamune Mochizuki, was a rather thin, pale old man with long white hair and serious black eyes. He wore a white robe around himself, as he sat behind a desk. Behind him was their symbol, a cross that looked like a plus, with a circle of leaves around it.

"Black Label, I'm pleased to see you have all made it here. As you all know, the crime lord Maki Sota has been smuggling a drug in to the city. Sota has been trading it with a man known as Kyoji Tobishiro, son of the infamous Tobishiro crime lord, Jotaru Tobishiro. This new narcotic has not been identified and any leads to look into the matter has not held up. However, from what we've seen, it completely inhibits one's senses on a scale we haven't seen before. Ampule One," Arashi, Oriha and Mikoto took attention. "I want you to infiltrate the house of a drug smuggler known as Hoshii Matatabi. We have been monitoring him for a while and we suspect that he may know more about this drug. Once you know more, his label will turn from yellow to black. Eliminate him."

"Yes, Doctor." The three replied in unison.

"Ampule Zero," Yuko, Miki and Sayo stood at attention. "I want you to provide back-up. There has been a man shaking up the criminal world for the last month. We do not have enough information on him to give him a label. However, if he is to show, I want you to find out more about him and deal with him, if necessary."

"Be careful." Fiona warned. "He is said to be dangerous."

Sayo smirked, cracking her knuckles. "Aye, aye."

* * *

The mansion of Hoshii Matatabi was extravagant, to say the least. A yard with hedges, flowers and guards. A lot of guards. A tall wall surrounding the place, with lions on each corner as if to ward off intruders. Inside, it was decent enough, with the most twisted stuff going on inside Hoshii's bedroom.

Undressed girls all doing unspeakable acts while he laughed and drank his alcohol. He smiled and laughed and drooled happily, blissfully enjoying his paradise while others suffered in the hell he created. Not for long. An explosion blew down the barred window in the room and in the next moment, a motorcycle flew in with two people on it – a man wearing a red and black suit with a black helmet covered his face and a woman wearing sunglasses, a leather jacket, a scarf, very short pants and thigh high boots with heavy steel knee pads. She had two revolvers in her hand and she shot the guards that ran in. Arashi walked up to Hoshii with a gun in his hand while Mikoto continued to hold off the guards. The girls, scared out of their minds, hid in a corner, cuddled around each other.

"Hoshii Matatabi, you are a tumor that has plagued this city. Today, you will be excised."

"F-fuck you, freak! I won't die that easily!"

Arahsi aimed his gun and prepared to pull the trigger when a projectile of some kind knocked it out of his hand. Arashi's hand flew to his other gun as he turned and looked to his right. Standing in the window was a dark figure cloaked in black. He looked like a giant bat, his eyes red as he glowered at them.

" **Enough."**

"Who the fuck are you?!" Mikoto demanded, aiming her revolver at him with a fierce look.

" **You've taken enough lives. There will be no more death tonight."**

"'Fraid I have to disagree with that." From behind him, a blue-haired woman in a nurse's outfit and a demon mask came flying down at him with her fist raised. Batman dived out of the way as her fist destroyed the wall around the window. Mikoto and Arashi refrained from shooting him, knowing the doctor has yet to label him.

Batman glanced behind him, briefly wondering why they haven't shot at him. He didn't have time to wonder long as Sayo jumped forward and struck at him, breaking the floor as he dodged it. Hoshii, scared out of his mind with tears of fear building in his eyes, ran out the door while everyone was distracted.

"Go after him, kiddies. His label color is black. I'll keep our friend busy here."

"Let's go, Mikoto." Arashi and Mikoto got back on the motorcycle and rode out the door, leaving Batman and Sayo alone. With astounding speed, she pushed off the floor, crushing it beneath her feet. She threw a hook towards his head, but Batman had already seen it coming and narrowly ducked it, retaliating with an upward kick to her chin. She took it in stride before spinning on her heel and giving him a back fist strike to the chest. He crossed his arms over his upper body just before the attack landed, his arms taking the brunt of the force. Batman was knocked back into a wall, cracking it behind his back.

 _'Sayo, remember, he has no label. So_ don't _kill him."_ Miki's voice came over the transceiver in Sayo's ear.

"Aye, aye."

" **Who are you people?"** Batman demanded, glaring at her fiercely.

"Sorry. Not at liberty to state that. All I can say is that we bring justice to those who deserve it."

Batman stood up, wiping his chin. **"You're psychopaths who kill whoever you think is worthy."**

Sayo shrugged. "You're one to talk about mental stability. Ain't it a little late for Halloween?"

She rushed him again, bringing her leg to side kick him. He sidestepped it and bent down to give her a low spin kick. Tripping her to the ground, he followed up by climbing atop of her, pinning her arms down with his foot and hand, planting his other knee in her stomach and with his free hand, he removed her mask.

From afar, on a rooftop, Miki and Yuko walked from a sniper scope and binoculars respectively. "I have a shot. Should I take it?"

"No, Sayo is fine. She's not struggling by any means. For now, all she needs to do is buy time."

Batman's hand then flew to her throat, choking her slightly. **"You're going to answer some questions now."**

Sayo smirked. "Ooh, you're kind of kinky."

Batman growled. **"I don't have time for games."**

"Too bad." With astounding strength, Sayo broke free of Batman's grip on her arm. She reached up and grabbed one of his pointy ears and pulled him down with Batman unable to fight her strength. She pulled his face low enough to kiss him, inserting her tongue into his mouth.

 _'Sayo, Ampule One has completed the objective. Pull back now.'_ Using Batman's brief opening, she kicked his chest, sending crashing into the ceiling. Sayo picked up her mask as Batman landed back on the floor, winded.

Sayo gave him a two fingered salute. "Bye-bye." She put her mask back on and jumped out, leaving Batman disgruntled on the floor.

* * *

On the motorcycle, Arashi and Mikoto rode back to the hospital. Mikoto was steering while Arashi sat on the back, holding the seat.

"Who the fuck was that guy? A member of some other group? A special type of SWAT agent or some shit?" Mikoto questioned, her eyes on the road.

"It doesn't matter. Whoever he is, he will not interfere with the mission. We will carry out the Triage, no matter who gets in the way." Arashi replied, stubborn determination in his voice.


	2. Chapter 2: Flames of Justice

**One Month Ago:**

It was raining, lightning striking down from the heavens and thunder booming from the clouds. On the rooftop of a very tall building in downtown Tobioka, a masked man laid. He was unconscious, just now coming to. His head was hurting and his body felt numb. He sat up, seeing that he was no longer in Gotham. Confused, the vigilante known as Batman, stood up and began looking around. He growled to himself as realization hit him.

" **Bat-mite..."**

"Bingo!" The world around him disappeared into a familiar but unwelcome hazy purple. Flying around was, indeed, Bat-mite, the fifth dimension imp who seems bent on seeing his favorite superhero in a variety of different settings. "Welcome to Tobioka City, the Japanese version of Gotham!"

" **Send me back to Gotham."** Batman demanded.

"Awww, come on!" Bat-mite whined. "You'll love this place, I swear! Crime lords rule this city. People are subjected to their sick whims and the police and government are all payed off. Sound familiar?"

" **I don't have time to clean up another city."**

"Sure you do!" Bat-mite insisted. "While you're here, your world doesn't progress, remember? And you don't age either so even if 100 years passed, you'd still be your age. How old are you again? Anyway, if you manage to save this city from crime and its threats, I'll send you back home and I won't bother you for another year. Deal?"

Batman knew he had no choice. **"Fine..."** Batman exasperatedly replied.

"YAY!" Bat-mite clapped his hands happily, twirling around in the air as Batman gave him a death glare.

 **Today:**

Bruce Wayne, disguised name being Ryu Komori, lay in his bed wide awake. He had been here a month and had gotten quite used to living in this city. In the span of a month, he had devised a set of complicated algorithms and won the $50,000 lottery. Using his money, he invested in a prestigious firm, becoming a partner and making even more money. Now, with a fair amount of welfare, he brought a flat overlooking the city. It allowed him to look down and see the dirt of this city from above. It was a familiar dirt, a dirt he was now tasked with cleaning. How long would it take him? Years? Only time would tell.

Along with a flat and a job, Bruce had invested in some more weapons, kitting up his armor and utility belt. There were some slight differences in technology, theirs being a tad more advanced but not so much that he didn't know how to use it. He had been getting accustomed to the crime families in the city. There were a few but none of them were any different from how Gotham crime bosses behaved. He basically had the same issue he has there. The heads of the family are all high up in the government or underworld hierarchy. They controlled judges, politicians, ministers and cops. The city was drowning in absolute filth and everybody in this city seemed to have a record. Even ten years olds were arrested at some point for shoplifting and such business. He had heard about a vigilante group who had been killing off some of the top drug smugglers and second-in-commands of the heads. For a short while, it lowered crime but weeks later, they were replaced and crime rose again. Whoever was killing them was employing a useless tactic. They were simply killing people who would come back to haunt the city one way or another. Not only that, the vigilantes became murderers and nothing truly came of it, except suffering to your soul. It was a bad thing to become; heartless.

Bruce turned his attention to his right, looking down to see Konomi moaning in her sleep. She was laying her head on his chest near his neck, the sheets barely covering their bodies. She squirmed some, her chest pressed into his. He slowly stroked her hair before turning his attention back to the ceiling. Last night, he ran into a woman and two partners of hers. She was insanely strong, just a bit weaker than the Venom users he fought awhile back. The police later collected the body of the man, so the two had managed to kill him. Bruce clenched his fist angrily. Despite his crimes, that wasn't justice. That was misplaced judgment, mixed with anger and a hint of hatred. After having escaped unseen, he met up with Konomi, as they had scheduled a date. Sparks flew, and the next thing they knew, they were passionately kissing in Bruce's place.

Bruce slowly got up from bed, trying his level best to not wake his bed mate. He walked over to the closet and began putting some pants on. Rousing from her sleep, Konomi woke up groggily. She stretched out her arms, realizing that she wasn't in her own bed. She blushed lightly, as last night's events came back to her. She reached over to the nearby nightstand and put her glasses back on. Bruce turned his head to see she had had woken up. He smiled at her.

"Have a nice sleep?"

She ruffled her hair, sitting up with the sheet covering her chest and smiling back. "Didn't get much sleep, ya know?"

"Heh." Bruce grabbed a white button up shirt, putting around himself before walking back over to the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"Work. Got a meeting with the fellow members of the board. The CEO wanted to show off some new product."

"Sounds boring." She leaned over to him, softly grabbing the end of his shirt. He leaned over himself, kissing her. She responded in kind, placing her hands on either side of his face, dropping her sheet. After the kiss ended, she quickly realized the sheet dropped and blushed, but made no move to cover herself. Bruce didn't mind. He buttoned himself up before putting his black suit over it. He grabbed a red tie and tied around his neck before walking towards the door.

"Feel free to use my shower. The guest towels are the white ones folded on the shelf."

"So, do you have a lot of 'guests' over?"

Just before he left the door, he looked over his shoulder with a charming smile. "Nope. You're the first one I've had over in a long time."

He closed the door, leaving her alone in his apartment.

* * *

"Arashi Mikami! Arashi Mikami-kun!" He turned to see his teacher, away from the window he was staring out of. "Are you listening?"

"Sorry, teacher, I was distracted."

His teacher, a buxom, red haired woman with glasses, sighed. "You're hardly ever in class, so stay focused, 'kay?"

"Yes, ma'am." He nodded. "Sorry, ma'am."

A young girl across from him, smiled. After school, Arashi left the grounds, meeting up with Mikoto outside.

"Yo, Arashi. Class go okay?"

"It was fine."

"Later tonight, Mochizuki-sensei wants to talk about that shithead who interrupted us last night."

"Alright. I'll go to the hospital after I make an appointment."

"Appointment?"

"Kominato invited me to eat at her restaurant. Do you want to come?"

Mikoto shrugged and followed him as walked onto the restaurant. Coming inside, the door made a bell ring and the man behind the counter, Mr. Kominato, a tall man, with brown hair, brown eyes and a thin black mustache, greeted them cheerfully.

"Mikami-kun, Kiba-san, good to see you two again."

"Thank you, Kominato-san." They replied politely.

"Hinako, we've got customers!" He called out. Out from the back, she came out in a green and white maid outfit, twirling around once. Hinako was a young, slightly below average height, and petite high school girl. She had short light brown hair and brown eyes. Hinako wore her hair down with bangs that were slightly shorter than the rest of her hair. She had a strand of hair that stood straight up on the top of her head. Hinako had a rather small bust, appearing to be almost flat-chested.

Hinako's eye caught sight of Mikoto and her face became somewhat red from envy. She walked up to the table, bowing politely to two. "Welcome to our restaurant, Kiba-san, Arashi-kun!"

"Good to be back here, Kominato-chan." Mikoto replied with a smile.

"So, are you two here on a... date?" She asked carefully, wary of the answer.

"No, no." Mikoto replied quickly, shaking her hands and head. "Nothing like that."

"Oh... what a relief." She smiled, grasping her chest as it seemed to have averted a heart attack. "Now, then! What would you two like to eat? Our special today is..."

* * *

On the sidewalks, Bruce walked through the city on his lunch break. The meeting wasn't over but it was unmercifully boring. He had to fight sleep twice. The CEO's presentation was a drawl and his idea was terrible, but the rest of the board was on deck with him so Bruce had decided to not vote for it and now, they were taking a short break before coming back and discussing it further. He was just happy to get out of there. Fighting Gotham's underbelly or the crime lords of Tobioka city wasn't hell, meetings were.

Bruce cracked his neck, before checking his watch. It was a quarter past noon. He stopped in front of a flower shop, picking up a few violet flowers. He continued on to his destination, batting a few eyes from the opposite sex as he went. After a few blocks, he stopped in front of a police station. He ran up the stairs before going inside. Upon walking inside, Bruce saw officers busy at work, moving in and out of the station. He made a brief mental note to research how many are on the payroll of the crime bosses in this city. His estimate... a lot. He glanced around the room before finding his target. He walked over, stopping in front of a desk and handing Konomi the flowers.

"Hello officer."

Konomi looked up, pleasantly surprised to see Bruce. She blushed a pink color as he handed her the flowers.

"Here. I remembered you said violets were your favorite."

"Oh..." She smiled, sniffing them softly. "They're beautiful. Thank you. I'll put these in water." She placed them on her desk, accidentally knocking over a clipboard. Before it could fall to the floor, Bruce had cut it, glancing at quickly before handing it back to Konomi. She was none the wiser.

"So, what are you doing here?"

"I got released from hell and decided to come see you."

She blushed a bit harder, somewhat overwhelmed from the attention. She smiled sweetly. "I'm so glad you came. I'm on my lunch break as well. Tatara-san!" She called out to a middle aged man sitting over at a desk.

"Hm?"

"I'll be going on my lunch break now!" She waved. He nodded somewhat grumpily and turned his attention back to his paperwork. She stood up, facing Bruce again. "So where do you want to- AAH!"

As she got up, she tripped on her foot and fell forward, but Bruce quickly caught her in his arms. "You alright?"

She looked up to him, fixing her glasses and blushing from embarrassment. Bruce smiled down at her. "You alright?"

"Y-yes. Thank you." She stood up straight, clearing her throat. "As I was saying, where would you like to eat?"

"I know a little place."

Bruce and Konomi left the station, walking through the city. It was the afternoon, the sun shining high in the sky. People walked through the streets, going about their day-to-day business. The couple eventually stopped in front of a small shop at the end of a corner and went in, signaling the chime.

* * *

"Oh?" Hinako and her father turned their attention to the two people who walked into their restaurant.

"Ah, Komori-san! Good to see you again, sir." Kominato's father greeted politely.

Bruce nodded in kind. "Thank you." He and Konomi sat down at a table, as Hinako waited on them. At their table, Mikoto and Arashi took no particular notice of them but Bruce took some interest in them, at least the girl. He recognized her face. It was dark but he was sure that she was one of the vigilantes. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as Konomi snapped him out of his trance.

"Ryu-kun?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm sorry. I'll be right back. Let me go freshen up."

Arashi and Mikoto rose up from their table, paying their bill and getting up to leave. Bruce passed the two, accidentally bumping into Mikoto. "Oh, excuse me." He said.

She shook her head with a polite smile. "No, no, it was my fault." The two continued on their way, leaving the restaurant. As Arashi and Mikoto walked through the streets, she turned to him and said, "Let's go to the hospital."

"Wait."

"What?" He reached behind her sleeve, pulling out a bat-themed tracer. "Where the fuck did that come from?"

Arashi turned his head back, looking at the restaurant. He glared at it before crushing the tracer in his hands.

* * *

Batman stood on a building overlooking the city, looking down at a screen on his gauntlet. Nothing was beeping, indicating that the tracer was found and destroyed.

Batman narrowed his eyes, before taking out his grappling launcher and descending down to an armored bike below. He got on and began riding throughout the city when he smelt smoke in the air. He turned his head to see a house on fire. Grappling off his bike, Batman swung into the house window, a batarang in his hand. On the floor, he saw a dead maid and narrowed his eyes dangerously. He ran forward into the room, kicking it in to see a flaming corpse and a purple haired woman garbed in black standing over him with a grenade launcher.

" **What do you think you're doing?"**

She turned to him with death in her eyes. "I'm burning crime with the flames of justice." She aimed her gun at him and fired, forcing Batman to dive out of the way. When he looked up, she was gone, having already dived out of the window. He ran to the window and looked out to see no one there. He slammed his fist on the window sill, before jumping out as the fire department came and put the fires out.

A.N.: Well, things seem to be _heating_ up! Hahahah! No? Alright, then, that's chapter 2 done. I'm pretty interested in seeing where I can take this so it will be updated fairly often (for awhile). On a side note, is there any requests for who you do or don't want in the pairing? I may or may not listen but hey, you never know so state your opinions, people! Also fav and follow if you liked it and I'll see you guys next time.

Green out.


	3. Chapter 3: Invoked Fear

"Hey, Kaname, when is the next shipment coming in? I'm getting bored and hot just sitting here."

"I dunno. Hunt's off somewhere, so I've been tracking Platinum Lily's trade routes. It'll be on the black market soon enough so all we can do is wait."

"Ugh, I hate waiting. I wanna punch someone."

"Stupid. You're too impatient. We'll attack when ready."

"R-right."

"Hehe! You two are just pairs of sunshine."

"Shut it."

A man walked into the room. "It's time to get moving. We've got word from Hunt. He wants me and Siren to secure a package. Kaoru and Kaori, you guys have different missions."

"What missions?"

"Well..."

* * *

The man ran forward, sprinting for his life. It was nighttime and the shadows seemed to dance. The street was eerily silent but that is not what scared this man. Right now, he was running for his life from a demon. A monster. He was impervious to bullets, he could disappear and he could even _fucking fly._ The man glanced over his shoulder, seeing nothing. He stopped short and spun around completely, aiming his gun at anything that might fly out. It was dark, with flickering lights overhead. To his right, water dripped from a pipe to a puddle below. To his left, a rat scuttled under a dumpster. Behind him, a red eyed demon glowered over his trembling body. The man felt sweat dripping down his brow, and with a final ditch effort, he tried to jump back and spin around but Batman had already sprung forward, grabbing his gun and breaking his wrist. The man fell back, holding his wrist in pain.

"AAH!" He looked up, tears building in up his eyes as the red eyed demon disassembled the gun. He began stalking the man as he fearfully slid back. "No... no, no, no... Stay away from me! Please... stay away! Help, help! Somebody-"

Batman had grabbed the man's collar, lifting him high in the air with one hand. **"Talk."**

"F-fuck you, man!"

Batman glared at him darkly. **"One. Last. Chance."**

"Uh... okay! Okay! Just... please... whatever you want..." He nodded compliantly, his hands shaking in fear.

" **You were assigned to kill a witness to a drug trade. Who assigned you?"**

"No, no, I can't tell you that! He'll kill me and everyone I love!"

Batman's glare intensified. **"And what do you think I'll do to you if you make me ask again?"**

"They call themselves... they call themselves Syr-" He wasn't able to finish, as a bolt was shot into the side of his head. Batman had to duck from another shot, before turning on his binocular vision and looking to a ledge above him. He saw a shadowy figure leaving his sniping position.

" **Not so fast."** Batman grappled up to the roof of the adjacent building and began running after him. The sniper jumped down the fire escape and Batman swung over and landed on the platform below him. Batman glared up at him.

" **You murdered that man. You _will_ tell me why." ** The figure had a hood and mask on as well as a disguised voice.

"Secrets are precious, vigilante. Letting them flow through the streets could incite chaos. And it is not time for chaos to reign."

Batman threw up a batarang at him, but the sniper dodged it and jumped off the fire escape and landed on a dumpster. Batman jumped after him as the sniper began to sprint away. Batman gave chase, throwing a bat-bola at him and tying his feet down. Batman pounced him and tried to remove his mask but before he could, he felt a strong kick to his jaw. It knocked him on his back and allowed the sniper time to cut through the rope. Behind him, stood a black clothed figure with purple hair. It was the arsonist woman Batman had encountered a few nights ago. She pointed a revolver at him.

"Don't move." The sniper said, dusting himself off. "She's serious. She'll kill you." The sniper then turned and ran away before the arsonist fired a round at Batman who quickly threw a batarang at it, exploding it midway. The fire separated the two and allowed her to get away. Batman narrowed his eyes before disappearing into the night.

* * *

In an underground base in an abandoned lot was the makeshift Batcave, with a high-tech computer, a motorcycle, a table where he set up his equipment and a case for his Bat suit. The computer alone nearly drove him into poverty, but was worth it as it allowed him access to the police and government servers, which allowed him to keep track of a variety of events. He removed his cowl before sitting down at his computer. He turned on the computer, looking at a list of police reports and listening to any emergency calls from citizens. One in particular caught his attention.

" _HQ, HQ! We're pinned down by several Kabuto gunsmen. They're firing at us with machine guns and we've got four casualties and need back up now!"_

Deciding he would investigate the mysterious assassins he encountered tonight later, he threw his cowl back on and got onto his bike. Riding out of his underground base, he rode onto the destination listed. Upon arriving at his destination, his ears were greeted by the loud sounds of gunfire and the sight of a few cops bleeding dangerously. Hiding his bike in an alleyway, Batman grappled to the roof and scouted out the situation. The cops were in a shootout outside a warehouse, with two officers pinned down behind a car and two bodies laying on the ground. Batman's attention turned to the men shooting the machine guns. Large, brazen young men with ski masks shooting at the police. Inside the warehouse, a sniper was trying to pick off any officers who tried to peek up and shoot while grenades kept getting thrown from a window inside the warehouse.

Batman stood up, taking out a few concussion and explosive batarangs. _**"The priority are the gunmen. With them shooting at the police, the officers will have no chance."**_

"HAHAH! C'mon, fuckers! Just try to get past us!" One of the shooters yelled.

"HAH! You coppers ain't shit! We rule this city now!"

Suddenly, their guns stopped working and they found batarangs stuck in their guns. The next minute, the clips exploded, blowing the men backwards. Before they could get up, they were each kicked in the face, knocking them out.

In the room above, the sniper and the grenade thrower were confused upon hearing the lack of gunfire.

"Eh, what the hell is goin' on?" A young man with brown spiky hair was sitting in a chair, smoking a cigarette. He wore a leather jacket, which was open and revealed his torso and chest, leather pants and boots. There were two women and a man tied up with a shotgun pointed in their face by the young man. "Why the fuck did they stop shootin'? Is everyone dead? Is blood roaming the streets?! Huh?!"

The lights in the room shut off suddenly, alarming the men. "The fuck?!"

" **Your blood will be the only kind that flows in the streets."** A dark, foreboding and menacing voice sounded around them. It was impossible to tell where it was coming from.

The men sprang up, guns in hand. "Hey, man, who the hell are you? Some wannabe cop or somethin'?"

" **No... I'm worse. I won't take you jail... I'll drag you there, screaming and bleeding."**

"Fuck you! I ain't scared of you!" He turned to his men. "Spread out! Find the bitch and fucking kill him!"

The men split up in the warehouse, searching the dark corners with flashlights in their hand. The first man went downstairs, looking around the various boxes and machines around the room. He felt tense, his eyes dashing from left to right. He heard something and spun around, shining his flashlight on a roach scurrying up the wall. Just before he could sigh in relief, his hand was stuck with a batarang and his leg was then snapped by a hard kick.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

His voice reverberated throughout the warehouse, unnerving the men inside. The other man who was sent to explore the warehouse stayed on the upper level, moving through the rooms above. He was walking on the walkway when he turned his flashlight and saw his friend hanging upside down, unconscious with blood dripping from his mouth. The man jumped back in fear, but he quickly realized he backed not into a wall but something else. Something worse.

The leader, still in the top room, could only nervously wait until the men came back. His nervousness became fright when he heard his man scream like a baby.

"NO, NO, I'M SORRY! FORGIVE ME, I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! SOMEBODY HELP ME, PLEASE! HEL-" His voice went dead silent, and the only thing the man could hear was his own speedy heartbeat. It thundered and boomed in his ears, as his eyes darted back in forth, his flashlight searching all around the room. He spun around and grabbed one of the woman while the other two gave a muffled scream in protest.

"Shut up!" He kicked them away, grabbing the girl and holding a gun to her hand. "A-alright you son of a bitch! Can ya hear me? Eh?! I've got me a hostage and if I so much as smell ya, I'm putting a bullet into this bitch! So unless ya want that blood on your hands, you-you'll let me outta here nice and soundly... And just to make sure you don't follow me..." The man took out a lighter and threw it to the floor. "BURN BITCHES BURN! HAHAHAH!"

* * *

Outside, the police had arrived to see the warehouse catching on fire. Out of a police car came Isoroku Tatara and Konomi Suzue. Tatara was a short man with short spiky black hair and a widow's peak. He had one eye closed and his face possessed rugged features with a few scars. He wore a brown suit and a stern look.

"What's the situation inside?" He asked one of the officers.

"Members of the Kabuto group have some hostages inside. We were pinned down when someone or... something, just took care of the gunners and went inside after them. But now..."

"Suzue, let's move!" Tatara pulled out a gun and ran inside.

"Tatara-san, hold on!" She ran in after him, her chest bouncing slightly as she went.

On the road, a white haired girl rode on a motorcycle. "This is Mikoto. I'm on call."

 _'Where is Arashi?'_

"He's not here yet. I'm close to the warehouse now. I'm moving in!"

Inside the warehouse, Batman ran out of the shadows and jumped through the fire, his fire proof suit protecting him from the flames and heat. The man and woman regarded him fearfully but he paid that no mind and instantly cut them free.

" **Follow the stairs down and run outside to the police. Go now!"**

The woman, realizing that he was actually rescuing them, spoke up quickly. "They're keeping others here as well! In the storage room downstairs!"

" _ **The storage room's going to catch on fire..."**_ **"I'll take care of it. Go!"**

The man and the woman sprinted downstairs, running for their dear lives. The fire had picked up, bringing down some of the ceiling now. Batman reached into his belt and put on a mask to protect him from the smoke of the flames. He jumped down from a railing and landed in front of the storage room. To his surprise, he saw someone already there and about to open it.

Mikoto turned around with her gun, widening her eyes upon seeing the man. "You!"

" **Get out of my way."** He demanded.

Instead of complying, she shot off her gun, forcing Batman to dive for cover. Mikoto grunted in annoyance. _"I can't focus on this guy... I need to take care of the hostages."_ Before she could turn, she heard the click of guns. She turned her head to see Tatara and Konomi holding their guns at her.

"Freeze!" Tatara demanded.

Batman narrowed his eyes. _**"I don't have time for this. If I don't get moving, those people will die."**_ Before Batman could do something about the situation, his eyes caught sight of rubble about to fall on Mikoto. He jumped and dove with her out of the way. The rubble forced Tatara and Konomi to jump back.

Under him, Mikoto struggled and squirmed. "Hey, you asshole, who the fuck asked you for help?!"

He grabbed her by the collar, pulling her close to him and glaring at her fiercely. **"We need to get the hostages or they're going to die. Do you understand?"**

Somewhat nervous but still fiery, she nodded slowly. "Fine, just get the fuck off."

Batman and Mikoto opened the door, the people inside looking up in surprise and fear. Batman and Mikoto began to release them, cutting them free from their ropes. "You're safe now." Mikoto told them.

"Stop, outlaws!" Tatara pointed their guns at them. Batman quickly disarmed him, throwing him over his hip.

" **Get them to safety now!"** Batman ordered.

"Don't order me around, shithead!" Mikoto shot back at him crossly. She turned to the hostages. "Let's go!" She ran with them out the door, leading them through the back entrance. Batman glared down at Tatara, grabbing his neck roughly.

" **Stay out of my way."**

Batman got up and ran out of the door, jumping through the fire. He stopped cold when he heard the click of a gun a few feet behind him.

"Freeze, in the name of the law!" Konomi, with a shaky hand, was pointing her gun at him, the fire blazing around them.

" **What are you doing? This fire is going to engulf this warehouse. We need to go."**

"I won't let you escape!"

Batman had two options. He could dodge the bullet and use his speed to soundly take her out. This was more difficult than it sounded, because he didn't want to hurt her. The other wasn't a smart idea as it had the possibility of him getting arrested.

"Konomi..." He spoke in his normal voice. "Please, let me go."

Her eyes widened exponentially. "R-Ryu?!"

He removed his mask and turned around, shocking her even further. "I'll explain everything later. Right now, grab your partner and get out of here. Please."

She slowly lowered her gun, her eyes still widened. Bruce put his cowl back on and ran out of the warehouse. From the room, Tatara came running out, holding his side.

"Suzue, where'd that Bat-guy go? Did he escape?"

"Y-yes."

"Alright, well, we've got to get out of here! Let's move!" The two ran out as the fire become wilder and hotter. It was only minutes later that the fire department finally put out the flames.

* * *

The leader of the group threw the woman in the car, panting from running. He looked over his shoulder to see black smoke in the night sky and a smirk was on his face.

"Heh, suck it, losers." Just as he prepared to jump in the car, he heard the click of a gun. He turned his head slowly to see a man with a helmet and a red and black suit holding a gun to his head. "W-who the hell are you?!"

"Takashi Muname, you are a tumor that has plagued this city. Today, you are to be excised." Arashi pulled the trigger, putting a bullet in the man's head and ending his life. Arashi peered into the car, looking at the frightened girl.

"You're safe now." He said. He reached his hand out to her but she frightfully scooted back.

"No, no! Stay away from me! Monster! Murderer!" She opened the door on the other side and ran back to the city, leaving Arashi alone with the bleeding psychopath.

A.N.: Alright, chapter three finished! And to clarify, I'm afraid I will not be using women from other universes. It's simply because there are so very few stories revolving around Triage X as it is and so I'd rather pair Batman up with women from this universe only. So, let me know what women you do or don't want with Batman and I may or may not listen to you. Never know. Maybe, maybe not. So, if you enjoyed this story, see the potential and are interested, leave a review with your thoughts, a follow and a fav. See you guys next chappie.

Green out.


	4. Chapter 4: The Symbol

"...And that is how this particular product will generate enough revenue to put money in all of our pockets!"

The CEO, a short man with combed hair, a business suit and a rather chubby frame, finished. Kyoji Tobishiro, newly appointed CEO of Tobishiro Industries, had just ended the meeting on that note. He was demonstrating to his investors a new product, some new anesthetic that surgeons could use to maintain a longer and more profound effect on patients. Bruce was suspicious of Kyoji and his anesthetic. He had requested test reports, lab reports and to personally see it in action himself. Kyoji had agreed behind a pleasant visage but deep down, Bruce suspected he had ticked him off. Bruce, of course, didn't really care.

Exiting from the board room, Bruce went down to lunch room to grab some water. There was already someone there, pouring a cup of coffee. She was quite stunning actually, being quite tall and busty. She wore a grey suit and with a matching grey skirt that went down to her knees. She had black hair and wore it in a ponytail. On her face were glasses that emphasized her mysterious purple eyes. The woman turned her head, surprised to see someone there.

"Oh, I didn't see you there."

"Ah, excuse me." Bruce waved apologetically. "I didn't mean to startle you. I've just come for some water." He walked past her to the fridge, fishing out a bottle of fresh water. "So, you're Tobishiro-san's assistant right. Goryu, is it?"

She nodded in response. "Yes. I help Kyoji-sama with whatever it is he desires."

"Must be taxing at times."

Her hand shook slightly. It was extremely subtle, so much so that the average person wouldn't notice it but Bruce was no average person and he took notice when she smiled politely in what seemed to be a rather insincere smile. "Yes," She admitted softly. "At times."

He looked into her eyes now and briefly caught sight of something. He wasn't sure what it was but it seemed almost like her soul was crying out for something, something he couldn't quite pin down.

" _Freedom, perhaps?"_

"Goryu! Where the hell is that cof-" Kyoji stormed into the room but paused upon seeing Bruce there and quickly caught himself, clearing his throat. "Erhm, Miss Goryu, is the coffee ready?"

"Yes, Kyoji-sama." She handed him the cup.

Kyoji took a sip, turning to Bruce with a smile that Bruce, quite frankly, didn't like. "So, Komori-san, what do you think of Thursday? You can come by then and see our anesthetic in action for yourself. It'll be sure to convince you!"

"Yes," Bruce nodded firmly. "That sounds fine."

"Splendid!" Kyoji sipped his coffee with a noticeable cringe before turning to leave. "I'll see you then! Come now, Miss Goryu."

"Yes, sir." She followed him, leaving Bruce alone to drink his water.

Now in the hall alone, Kyoji reached up and roughly grabbed her hair. "Come here, you bitch!" He dragged her to his office, before using her hair to throw her down to the floor. "This coffee was hot as hell, damn you! You tryin' to kill me?"

"N-no, Kyoji-sama, I-"

"Don't talk back to me!" He threw the coffee on her chest, causing her to cringe in pain. To avoid screaming, she bit her lip. Kyoji walked up to her and slapped her in the face with the back of his hand. "If you weren't so cute, I'd spill that coffee all over your face! You're lucky I'm at work and that I'm a gentleman. When we get home, I'll teach you a lesson you _won't_ forget." He kicked her in the chin, knocking her on the floor before finally turning around and walking out of the office. On the floor, salty tears of frustration and anger fell out of Goryu's eyes.

"...I hate you..."

* * *

Konomi walked through the park, her head down in deep thought. Last night, she just found out that her boyfriend was a vigilante who worked outside the law, who took justice into his own hands. He dresses as a bat and scares criminals to near insanity. The obvious course of action would be to take him to jail, to make him answer for the laws he's broken.

She stopped at the pond, watching as the ducks swam and the dragonflies flew about. Frogs jumped from lily pad to lily pad. She looked down at the pond, the water showing her the sad reflection on her face. _"I know what I have to do... I know... but... why does it feel so wrong?"_ She grimaced, her hand going to her chest. Her hand felt her heart and it was hurting. It felt like it was bleeding.

" _I've heard about the Batman... The criminals fear him, hate him, curse him... the police despise him, resent him... Some say he's killed people, others say that another group of vigilantes commit those murders... Is the city so crooked, the law so useless, that we have to resort to people like them to save the ones we can't? To lock up the ones we can't even touch? What good is the law if it doesn't protect a damn thing..."_

She walked down near the bank of the pond and sat down. The duck was being followed by her ducklings, quacking as they followed her single file. She smiled as the duck pulled up water from its beak and showered her young with it. Konomi sighed, hugging her knees.

" _What's stopping me anyway? I'm not in love with him. We've only been dating for a few weeks. I like him but... but... there's no reason not to turn him in. I have to. It's my duty...! What would I even be losing? All he has a nice body... smooth hair... soft lips... a_ really _nice body..."_ She shook her head, blushing. _"Was he pretending all that time then? He seemed so sweet and so gentle that I... I couldn't even imagine him being some scary man in a bat costume. Is that just a lie? Was he lying to me all this time? When we were talking, kissing... making love... was that all just a... just a lie so I would never know who he truly is?_ What _he truly is?"_

Konomi stood up, a determine glint in her eyes. "Alright... I've come to my decision! I can't let someone like him undermine the law any longer!"

With her decision made, she stood up and made her way to the police station to make a statement. On her way, she passed by Mochizuki General Hospital. A woman came walking out and she turned with a face of recognition at Konomi.

"You!"

"Huh?"

The girl ran up to Konomi energetically, practically jumping on her. "It's you! You were there at the warehouse yesterday!"

"Uh, y-yes... how do you know about that?"

"I was one of the people kidnapped! The Kabuto group had stormed a store and took us hostage. I was just coming back from getting a check up."

"I see... I'm glad you're safe."

The girl nodded happily. "Yes! It's all because of him."

"Him?"

"Why, the Batman of course!"

Konomi's face became one of surprise as the girl continued. "He saved us all, beating the shit out of those guys and setting us all free! I owe him my life."

"So... to you then, the Batman is... good?"

The girl looked at Konomi bewildered, as if the answer itself was obvious. "Well, isn't he? A man who protects innocent people, scares the bad guys and puts his life on the line for others... That's no monster, now is it?"

Konomi stared at her for a moment, measuring her sincerity. She meant it. She meant every word. "I see... well, in any case, I'm glad you're safe."

The girl nodded happily. After a few more words were exchanged, Konomi parted ways with the girl. She continued on her way to the police station, but this time a little slower and in deep thought. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice a boy run into her, the impact knocking him down. He was a young boy, about ten, with black hair and wide blue eyes. The boy looked up at her angrily.

"Hey, old lady, watch where you're going!"

" _Old... lady...?"_

"Eric!" Konomi raised her briefly depressed head up to see the boy's father come around the corner. "Don't be disrespectful to adults!"

Eric looked away with a huff, making a face. Eric's father sighed, turning to Konomi. "I'm sorry, miss. He's still young."

Konomi waved it off. "No, no, it's fine."

Eric glanced at her waist, spying her police badge. "Hey, lady, are you a cop?"

"Hm?" She followed his line of sight to her badge, before smiling and nodding. "Yes, I'm a detective."

"Really?" Eric got up and with a smirk, put one hand on his hip and with his other hand he pointed at her. "The police suck!"

"Eric!" His father reprimanded.

"The police can't do anything!" Eric continued unabashed. "That's why you guys should quit and just leave it up to the Batman!"

Konomi's eyes widened. _"Even kids his age know about him?"_

The boy's father smacked him in the back of his head. "That's enough!" He looked up at her apologetically. "I'm very sorry for my son's behavior."

"No..." She shook her head solemnly. "It's fine."

"He's been hung on Batman ever since last month."

"Last month?"

"Yes. You see... Well, perhaps I shouldn't be telling a cop this but... I used to be a small-time thug. I never did anything major, I was always just guarding hideouts and stuff. One day, something infiltrated a hideout I was guarding. It was him – the Batman. I tried to fight him but long story short, I ended up with a broken leg and two teeth knocked out of my mouth. That was an eye-opener. It told me that I needed to take care of things. To take control of my life and stop trudging around shady terrain and do things right. I realized I had to take more responsibility of this little bugger here." He ruffled his son's hair, annoying him slightly. "As weird as it sounds... the Batman scared me onto the right path. Oh, damn! I'm sorry... I didn't mean to take up so much of your time. I'm sure you have more important things to do. If you'll excuse us."

The man and his son continued on their way, leaving Konomi even more confused. Walking a few more blocks, Konomi pondered on everything. Her train of thought was interrupted by a situation that was taking place in an alley. A man was attacking a woman, pressing her up against the wall of a bakery. Konomi pulled out her gun but before she could intervene, the baker from the shop came out the back door with a pipe. He hit the guy in the leg and then hit him again in the neck, causing him to crumble on the ground.

"Get outta here, scum! I don't take kindly to rapists!"

Konomi ran forward. "I'll take it from here!" She pulled hand-cuffs from behind her jacket. She glanced up at the girl. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes..." She turned to the baker, a look of relief and gratitude washing over her and could be expressively seen in your face. "Thank you, sir. You saved me!"

The baker scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It was nothing, really. When you watch the news and hear about a guy saving babies from burning buildings, you have to step in when you see something wrong. Otherwise, how can you even consider yourself a human being for letting someone else set a good example while you sit back and let shit run through the streets?"

"Are you talking about Batman?" Konomi asked.

"Yeah, I've heard he's pretty crazy but... all I could think about was what would that crazy guy do in a situation like this. If us 'normal' people can't at least rise up to the occasion when needed, then we're the crazy ones, not the guy who dresses like a bat. If it even is a man..."

Konomi was speechless, before her face become resolved and solemn. She sighed, smiling with her eyes closed. "He is a man... and he is very brave. Thank you..."

"Huh? For what?"

She shook her head, still smiling. "I'll have this man taken to prison. As an officer of the city, I commend your bravery. Please, have a nice day." She turned and took the man away, leaving the baker and the other woman confused.

* * *

In the dead of the night, Batman swung through the buildings of Tobioka. For the last four hours, he had left robbers, thieves, muggers and murderers hanging from roofs and lampposts. Just now, he had squeezed information from a drug dealer about some deal he made involving an XM-25, the grenade launcher the shrouded purple haired was using. It was bought off the black market using a man known as Hogiki Momo as a contact.

Batman landed on the windowsill of his apartment, peeking inside. Seeing no one, he opened it and entered the apartment. With his cape around him, Batman moved through the darkness of the room until he made it to the bedroom. He narrowed his eyes, seeing blood on the sheets with the help of his night vision implemented in his cowl. He followed its trail into the closet to have his eyes meet the corpse of the man himself. Batman knelt down, inspecting the body.

" _ **This body has been here for almost a week. His neck was slit and he was left here to bleed out."**_ Batman narrowed his eyes in suspicion. **_"Someone anticipated that I or someone else would find out about this deal. These people, whoever they are, cover their tracks well."_** Batman looked around the room and saw a laptop under the bed. He pulled out, connecting a cord to the USB port. Using the mini-computer, he scanned the man's accounts, looking through his messages. One particular message caught his eye:

 _'Did ya manage to sell it?'_

 _'That grenade launcher? Yeah, I sold it to some group calling themselves 'Syringe' or some shit. I don't really know the details but they paid a fuckload for it, I swear. Best deal I ever had. They some secretive sons of bitches too, threatening that if I told anyone about their deal they'd have me killed. Hah! Now that's some funny shit if I ever heard it.'_

Batman turned off the laptop, pondering the name. **_"Syringe? An underground rogue organization with their own aims and unknown objectives."_** Batman's thoughts were interrupted by a ring going off in his cowl. His cellphone was linked to the receiver in his comm-link, allowing him to take calls wherever he is.

"Hello?" He answered in his normal voice.

 _'Ryu?'_

Batman's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Konomi?"

 _'Are you busy?'_

He glanced at the body in the closet. "You could say that."

 _'I need to talk to you. In person, if you can make it.'_

"Where?"

 _'The rooftop of the tallest building in Tobioka City – the Grand Pillar Skyscraper.'_

"Alright. See you there."

After hanging up with her, Batman pressed a few buttons on his mini-computer and anonymously called the police. **_"I have to be careful. She either wants to talk to me or entrap me."_**

* * *

The wind was light but cold, blowing through and bringing goosebumps to the skin of anyone it touched. The moon wasn't out tonight, opting instead to hide in the shadows, afraid of shining its beautiful and divine light onto the forsaken city of Tobioka. The Grand Pillar Skyscraper, built in the center of the city, was the third tallest building in the world. It was created as a trading center with backing from the Prime Minister himself. On the roof of the Grand Pillar Skyscraper, with wind blowing through the bangs of her red hair, was Konomi Suzue.

Konomi looked down at the city and she shuddered. Down below, from her high vantage point, was hell. A literal hell, built not in fire but with bricks and stone. The demons and monsters were the ones who fed on the inhabitants of this hell with misery and suffering. The police did nothing but encourage it. Even she knew this. The inhabitants of this city were at the prey of the demons, with the Devil himself being the center of it all. Hearing a flutter, Konomi turned to her right and saw _him_ gliding towards. The Dark Angel himself, the one she wholeheartedly believed would change this corrupted city for the better. She sincerely believed that he would find the Devil himself and remove him from this city.

Batman landed on the roof, having scouted the area beforehand from afar. Konomi smiled upon seeing him.

"I'm glad you came... Ryu."

Batman removed his mask, his blue eyes shimmering with the lunar rays. "I'm surprised you wanted to see me again, Konomi."

"I'm actually a bit surprised myself. I spent the entire day thinking of what I should do, what my duty was. I was thinking about what I needed to protect, what I needed to follow. In doing this, I opened my eyes for the first time and saw the change taking place in this city. I realized that the law wasn't some omnipotent figure that needed to be obeyed... that the laws in this city need to be bent, broken even. Because... what good is a law if it doesn't protect people?"

Bruce was pleasantly surprised at her disposition. _"She's changed. Her entire outlook has evolved in the span of one day..."_

"If I can't protect anyone using the law, then like any other weapon, it's useless! I need to do something else, to promote change on another level. So... I'll place my faith in you, Ryu. I won't turn you in. I'll believe in what you're doing and I'll stand by you hand in hand, no matter what happens."

Bruce shook his head. "You don't have to do this, Konomi. There's nothing bounding you to me. You don't have to put everything you earned, everything you are, on the line for me."

"I'm not." She walked up to him, tapping the symbol on his chest. "I'm putting it on the line for this. I'm putting my faith in this."

Bruce gave a small smile. "I see."

"Besides... I'm more of a computer geek anyway, so... I'm pretty sure I could help you with stuff like that."

Bruce raised an eyebrow, his interest peaked. "Well, actually..."

* * *

"Wow!" Konomi was inspecting the computer like an excited addict hooked on cocaine. She went over all the hardware of Bruce's Batcomputer, practically drooling at the immensity of it. Bruce stood a few steps back, a thin trickle of nervous sweat going down his forehead.

"Konomi..."

"Oh, my God! This has got to be just a smidge more advanced than the Columbia Supercomputer! Did you build this by yourself?!"

Bruce hesitantly nodded. He didn't even see her move, when all of a sudden her arms were around his neck and a near insane glint was in her eye. "Then... you're a genius... right?"

" _Maybe... this was a bad idea... after all..."_

A.N. Hope you guys are enjoying the story ladies and gents! Let me know your thoughts with a review and remember to follow and fav! Also, don't forget to leave suggestions for the harem as there is no limit. See ya next chapter.

Green out.


	5. Chapter 5: The Right Path

" _89... 90... 91... 92... 93..."_

Bruce was currently doing push-ups. He was wearing sweatpants but was otherwise shirtless. On his back was Konomi, wearing white panties and a loose pink tank top with a small koala bear symbol on the left side. She was sitting on his back in lady-like fashion with her legs crossed, eating chocolates and looking on her phone.

"Hmm..." She popped another chocolate into her mouth. _"Wow, these taste so good!"_

"What have you got?" Bruce pushed down again, making sure his chin made contact with the floor before pushing up again.

"Not much, to be honest. The police commissioner's name is Haruo Hashimoto. He's been in that position for many years and I know he's been taking bribes from various underworld gangster lords. It's pretty much because of him why putting people in jail is not too effective. That and there are other policeman and women who take bribes as well. The entire force is corrupted to the core."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. _"Just like in Gotham..."_

He pushed down again as Konomi continued. "Commissioner Hashimoto is friends with the Mayor as well. The Mayor is apparently on someone's payroll, though this person remains in the shadows." She popped another chocolate into her mouth, before glancing down at Bruce who had sweat coming down his brow. "I'm surprised you can be so active after last night. My legs are still numb..." She scratched her thighs before glancing back at her phone.

"I can't afford to stop, no matter what comes my way."

She smiled widely. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Bruce finally stopped doing push-ups and Konomi got off, walking over to the computer. Bruce stretched out his body while Konomi pulled down more information.

"So, tell me again about these two – you said their names were Mikoto Kiba and Arashi Mikami."

"Yeah. I asked the owner of that cafe we went to about them. His daughter told me their names and that they went to their school, Mochizuki High School. They know who I am too."

"That sucks. Well, let me see..." She brought up two files with their names and photos on the page. "Arashi Mikami: Age, 17. Height, 5'7. Weight, 152 lbs. He was born in Tobioka, and records pulled from the medical databases indicate that he was operated on in Mochizuki Hospital. He was in that terrorist attack."

"Terrorist attack?"

"Haven't you heard of it? Terrorists bombed a medical conference a decade ago. Killed nearly everybody inside except this boy and another. I think his name was Ryuu Mochizuki. Records say he died on the table."

"What about the other one?" Bruce grabbed two escrima sticks and began practicing drills in the air.

"Mikoto Kiba. Age, 17. Height, 5'3. Weight, 129 lbs. She was born into a Yakuza family but ever since an accident that resulted in her brother's death, the family has disbanded and split into splinter groups, such as the Kabuto group."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "Who is this man known as Mochizuki?"

"Dr. Masamune Mochizuki, chairman of the hospital. He was born into this city and has been donating money to charities and including the hospital, has built a school as well. No other information available."

"This man is the key." Bruce surmised. "These two who go to his school and the woman I ran into who wore a nurse's outfit... it can't be a coincidence. I'll investigate the hospital and school later. Right now, there are more pressing matters. Did you get the information I asked for?"

"Of course. I found out from a number of sources that'd be too damn boring to list that your man is going to be on one of three cruise ships docking into Tobioka City. His name is Aoi Iwata. He is believed to be an important link between the drug shipping in Tobioka. He's come here to discuss some new drug that's been being developed in South America."

"Three cruise ships?"

Konomi shrugged. "Rich people like to live in style. The ships will come around our waters around midnight. Perfect time for the Batman to prowl around."

"Absolutely." Bruce stowed away his sticks before grabbing a towel and a bottle of water, cooling himself off. "I'll find him and have him confess the crimes to the police. I'll have him give the names of his clients to them as well. If I'm going to turn him in though, I need you to book him and take his statement."

She saluted with a goofy smile. "Roger. But, you know that he will just become a target if he does talk, right? And he might even get bailed out before he could tell us anything anyway."

"I'll take care of that too." He turned to his suit, which was being kept in a glass case.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"Hm?"

"I'm sure this goes without saying but you'll be on a boat full of civilians and he'll have no doubt have heard of the drug dealers and such getting murdered or scared half to death. He might be on edge and if he does something radical because he suspects something is up, he could get someone killed. You might have to blend in with the crowd before taking him out. Do you think you could act like a rich, snobbish socialite?"

Bruce, his back turned to her, smirked to himself. "Something tells me that won't be a problem."

* * *

"We need to get him to the emergency room, stat!"

"Yes, doctor!"

"Oh, the pain! Please, give me drugs to take my mind of the pain!"

Arashi and Mikoto strode past the doctors who took patients to emergency rooms, their patients writhing and screaming in pain. The hospital, while a front for another organization entirely, was still used for the good of the city and hired other doctors and surgeons to care for patients. Mikoto came up to a door and opened it, Arashi going in and her following behind him, closing the door. The pair walked into the meeting room where Hitsugi, Miki, Oriha and Yuko sat on white benches. Arashi and Mikoto sat on a vacant one.

Behind the desk was Dr. Mochizuki and Ran was at his side. "It seems we have all assembled, Black Label. Well then, let's get on with it." Holographic images were shot in front of each bench as Ran began briefing the teams. "Our intel has the target listed on a cruise ship, one of three. His name is Aoi Iwata, a drug trader that exports high grade drugs from other countries. He is coming from South America to discuss with the underworld the possibility of selling some new drug."

"New drug?" Mikoto repeated.

"We don't have all the details about it just yet. However, we don't need anymore people selling another drug here, bringing about more tumors. Our society needs to remain a 'healthy body', without disease and infections. It's our job as surgeons and doctors to maintain the state of our city."

"Yes, doctor." Black Label said in unison.

Mochizuki turned to Ran, giving her a nod which indicated she could take over. "The ships will approach our waters around midnight. We will be sending Ampule Zero undercover to seek out this man. We need to first get the name of the drug he intended to try and sell. But he is a black label so eliminate him afterwards. Ampule One will be sent in for back-up. He knows about our latest activites so if he escapes then Ampule One will have to deal with him. Keep in mind that cruise ships have civilians aboard so there will be no en blocs, Oriha."

"Awwwww~!" She pouted. "So unfair..."

"When the two hands of the clock reach 12... we will begin our operation!"

* * *

Classical music comforted the ears of the patrons of the ship as they danced, drank their expensive alcohols, and danced to their somber tune. A particular man walked through the crowd in a fancy black suit. A red rose was in his pocket and a glass of champagne was in his hand. He winked at the ladies as he walked through the socialites. The noise from everyone talking, the waft of cigar smoke and beeping of the gambling machines filled the place. You had stuck-up old women in fur coats to women who barely looked to be 21 in ridiculously low-cut dresses. Buffed men in tight playboy suits to old lecherous men with monocles.

The man sat at the bar where a purple haired woman was bar tending. She was wiping a glass with a towel before taking notice of the man's presence. She wore a white buttoned shirt, a black tie and a black skirt.

"What'll it be, handsome?"

Bruce gulped down his drink, placing it on the corner. "Ah, nothing for me. I've had a few already. If I keep going, some charming young lady might take advantage."

The bar tender chuckled, attending to a few other patrons. Bruce felt a vibration in his pocket. He fished out his phone and put it to his ear. "Hello?"

 _'Did you find him?'_

"No, he's not here."

 _'Hmm... well, I know for sure he's on that ship. Satellite had him imaged out on the deck a few hours ago.'_

"I'll find him, soon enough." Bruce got up from the bar and continued on his way. As he walked away, the bar tender narrowed her eyes before taking out her phone.

"Yuko, I think _he's_ here."

 _'You've come into contact?'_

"Yes. He's exactly as the kids described him."

 _'Really? On a scale of 1-10, how attractive do you think he is?'_

"Ugh, we don't have time for this."

 _'So a 9 then?'_

"No, definitely a 10." Miki took a look around the room. "I still haven't seen our man."

 _'Ran said he was surely on this cruise ship. We'll find him.'_

What Miki didn't know was that under the counter where Bruce sat was a small device that allowed him to pick up any cellular conversations in the radius of its projected signal. In the hall, Bruce took his fingers off of his ear.

"Did you hear that?" He asked quietly.

 _'Yeah, there's no doubt about it... you're definitely a 10.'_

" _About_ their involvement."

 _'Using that device you planted, I'll be able to hack into their phone calls. It'll be temporary though, because the bug that allows us in isn't well coded.'_

"Alright. Is everything else in place?"

 _'Mmhm. Just like you planned. Oh, and by the way, I've been thinking about some cool, bad-ass codename I could use.'_

"Codename?"

 _'Yep! How does 'Oracle' sound to you?'_

"A person able to make divine predictions?"

 _'Yeah, just a little less divine. I'm more of a well-of-knowledge type Oracle.'_

In the hall, Bruce narrowed his eyes as a tall man with purple hair that reached his shoulders began walking down the corridor. He wore a black suit, had tan skin and grey eyes. On his neck was a diamond necklace and on either side of him were bald, buffed out bodyguards. Bruce kept walking with his head down until he bumped into the purple haired man.

"Hey! Watch it, you!" One of the bodyguards pushed Bruce roughly to the side before continuing on their way.

"Sorry, geez...!" After they were gone, Bruce put his hands to his ear again. "Konomi-"

 _'O-r-a-c-l-e.'_

Bruce growled slightly in his throat. "Oracle... I've found the target. He's making his way into the party. That woman will take notice and keep tabs on him. I need to change and prevent them from killing him."

* * *

Aoi strode through the crowd, laughing boisterously and winking at the ladies, who were disgusted. He sat down at a blackjack table, smacking a waitress on her backside as he did. She glared holes into the back of his head before huffing and moving on.

From behind the bar, Miki pressed her phone to her ear. "The target is in sight. I repeat, the target is in sight. Begin operation."

Aoi threw a pair of dice across the table, the cubes bouncing off and landing with two fours facing up. "Fuck yeah! That's what we want, bitches! Drinks are on me!"

The upperclass, so usually posh and sophisticated, were under the spell of the gamble and have discarded the attitude so often associated with their persons and released themselves, shouting and whooping loudly.

A blue-haired waitress served drinks to all the spectators of the table. She handed Aoi his drink, winking at him.

"On the house, Mr. Iwata."

"Heheh..." Aoi downed it in one gulp, the blue-haired waitress already gone when he slammed his glass onto the table. "Hit me!"

Not even thirty minutes later did he find himself puking over the edge of the deck. "Ah... what the fuck, man? That lobster's poison, I swear to freakin' God..." He looked over his shoulder at his bodyguards. "Hey, keep an eye out... You can't be too careful. I don't need some fucker-"

They never got to hear the end of the sentence as they fell to the ground, batarangs sticking out of their shoulders.

"Huh?! Hey, what the fuck?! AAAH!" The next thing he knew, he was being pulled overboard and held over the dark water. Even though the moonlight provided very little light, Aoi could clearly see him; the Batman was positioned on the side of the ship and was currently glaring down at Aoi, his demonic red eyes invoking unparalleled fear.

"Y-you!"

" **What was the name of the drug you intended to show in Tobioka City?"**

"Like I'm telling you shit, motherfu-" Batman released him into the water, letting the sub-zero temperature sting his face and fill his lungs. Batman then pulled him up with a rope, giving Aoi a chance to breathe again.

" **I'm not asking twice! The name of the drug, now!"**

"Fu-fu-fuck y-you!"

Batman dropped him underwater again, holding him there longer. He pulled him up again with Aoi shivering and his skin pale.

" **The next time I drop you, I'll let you drown. Last chance, Iwata."**

"P-platinum L-lily! W-we wan-wanted to release the drug to a wi-wider dem-demographic..."

" **Who's we?"**

"I-I don't know... I wa-was never told... Th-they kept themselves in th-the dark... I took the j-job and they used a m-medium to contact me... Burner ph-phones..."

" **You're going to face justice."**

"H-hah! There's n-no jail that c-can hold me! I'll be released in days! I've g-got important people ba-backing me!"

" **I know."** Batman's voice became more ominous and forceful. **"I want names. All of them. Every last person backing you."**

Aoi's eyes widened. "Y-you're going to go after t-them? A-are you cra-crazy?! They're government officials, politicians!"

" **No one escapes the law. So long as I exist in this world, there will be none who commit crimes in this city that will escape its justice."** Batman lowered Aoi again, letting his hair touch the water. Aoi shivered in fear at the feeling of water hitting his scalp. **"Now, then... About those names."**

"A-alright! Okay, I'll t-tell you! P-please!" Batman raised him up from the water. Aoi, in fear of inciting the man's wrath, spewed out the names in stuttering – stammering fashion and hoped to God that it would be enough for this monster to let him go.

" **That's all?"**

"Y-yes! Those are th-the ones I know!"

" **The drug, Platinum Lily, what does it do?"**

"I don't know all the details, just that i-it does something to the me-memory." Batman lowered him again, letting his eyes feel the water. "N-NO! I'M TE-TELLING THE TRU-TRUTH! I SW-SWEAR TO GOD!"

Batman lowered him completely in the water. **"Swear to me."** He raised him up again and the man was shivering dangerously. Batman threw him onto the deck before climbing up with him. Batman grabbed his collar and pulled him close to him. **"You're done."**

Aoi was so drained that he gave up any resistance whatsoever and merely nodded weakly.

"Don't move."

Batman glanced over his shoulder to see the purple haired woman earlier was pointing a suppressed pistol to the back of his head. She wore a tight purple suit with small diamond shaped studs sticking out at various places on the suit. "Seems like you got to our target before we did. We can't afford any interference. I may need to put you down here."

" **Just try it."** She didn't expect his movement and speed. Before she could even pull the trigger, Batman dropped down to the floor and spun. He then sprang up, grabbed her neck and swept her off her feet and to the deck. He pinned his knee on her stomach. **"I don't have time to play around with you."**

"Likewise." Miki punched him in the face before using her legs and wrapping them around his neck. She then shifted her body and sent Batman to the deck. She back-rolled onto her feet, pulling out another gun strapped on the side of her leg and pointing it at Batman, who had also gotten to his feet and was pointing a taser at her.

"Who dares, wins." Miki kept her eyes focused and her aim steady. Batman kept his eyes on her as well, his arm not moving an inch. The moment of tension was felt very clearly between the two as they stood off against each other. Miki refused to look away from the red eyes. Batman made the first move, jumping to the side and throwing a batarang at her. Miki had moved just a millisecond after Batman, shooting down the projectile. She was then just barely able to dodge the taser that came right after the batarang. She shot a few bullets but Batman narrowly dodged them, throwing a smoke bomb at her.

"Damn," She coughed, pointing her gun around the deck. Luckily for the two, there was no one around as everyone, including the deckhands, were occupied in the party. "Where are you?"

" **Here."** Miki tried to spin around but she was too late as Batman quickly disarmed her before sweeping her off her feet yet again. He took apart her gun before throwing it overboard. **"You people will stay out of this."**

" _You're_ the one who needs to stay out of it. I won't let you interfere with the triage."

Batman narrowed his eyes. **"Triage?"** His attention was cut short by the fact that Aoi was now standing up and with new bodyguards on either side of him. He had a nervous smirk on his face, indicating shaky bravado.

"Alright fu-fu-fuckers... YOU PUSHED M-ME TO D-DO THIS! I'M BLOWING YOU ALL TO SHIT RIGHT NOW!" Aoi reached into his shirt pocket but what he found was nothing but lint. "H-huh? Where is the de-detonator? How... huh? What the... WHAT THE FUCK?!"

" **You mean this?"**

As if in slow motion, Aoi's eyes slowly moved from his shirt to Batman's hand to see the object he was frantically looking for. "When did y-you get that?"

 _In the hall, Bruce narrowed his eyes as a tall man with purple hair that reached his shoulders began walking down the corridor. He wore a black suit, had tan skin and grey eyes. On his neck was a diamond necklace and on either side of him were bald, buffed out bodyguards. Bruce kept walking with his head down until he bumped into the purple haired man._

" _Hey! Watch it, you!" One of the bodyguards pushed Bruce roughly to the side before continuing on their way._

" _Sorry, geez...!"_

"H-how?! When?!"

Batman didn't reply and simply tossed it over the deck. Aoi's eyes widened in fear and his confidence completely disappeared. "K-kill them!" Aoi ordered before he turned tail and ran away. The guards weren't fast enough on the trigger as Batman immediately threw two batarangs into the gunholes, clogging them and causing their guns to jam.

"Aw, shit..." They said in unison. Not a second later were they both soundly punched out by the Dark Knight. Miki tried to get up but Batman tossed a syringe into her neck and the next thing she knew, she was met with a world of unconscious darkness.

With the distractions disposed of, Batman chased Aoi down to the bilge. Aoi kept glancing over his shoulder, the lights of the corridor being so dim that it only served to increase him in his panic.

" _That guy's not human, damn it! He's just not!"_

Aoi came across the engine room door and ran in. The room was hot, with the machines pumping and releasing steam in the air. Aoi kept running and running until something tripped him and he fell on his face.

"What the fuc-" He turned around to see another monster. It wore a nurse's outfit and had a demonic face with horns and purple eyes.

"Yo. I take it you're Aoi Iwata?"

"P-please no more... I can't take anym-more..."

"Don't worry, I'll issue your meds soon enough." She grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air with ease. "After you tell me what I want to know!"

"I-I already t-told everything to your partner!"

"Partner?"

" **Put him down."** Sayo turned her head to see Batman standing behind her in the dark, glaring at her.

She dropped him. "Oh, you again. Back for another kiss?"

 _'If you let her kiss you, I swear to God, I'll kick you in the gnads.'_ Konomi's voice threatened over the comm-link.

" **You're not killing anyone tonight."**

Sayo sighed, shaking her head. "That old line again? I don't want to kill you but this is my job." She took up a stance. "Don't blame me when your insides go flying all over the place."

Batman maintained his composure as she rushed forward with her fist raised. She swung at Batman who ducked under the strike and put a cylinder object to her stomach. The next thing Sayo knew, she was sent flying back several feet from Batman. Clutching her stomach, Sayo propped herself up on her elbow.

"What... the hell?"

" **I was prepared for your involvement. Like I said, you won't be killing anyone tonight. You'll be spending the rest of your nights in a jail cell."**

"Tch...! Screw you!" Hitsugi jumped up and came down with a drop kick but Batman threw a smoke pellet on the ground, reducing her visibility. Her foot crushed nothing but metal and she was once again sent flying forward by Batman's gadget. Picking herself up, Sayo growled at him. "Damn you... what the hell is that?!"

Batman didn't answer as he simply vanished in the shadows. "Damn coward..." Batarangs flew out of the shadows at her. She blocked them with her gauntlets but wasn't prepared for the small explosions that came from them, the impact sending her to the floor. "He's trying to blow me up in the engine room of the ship... He really is crazy."

Batman came down from above, pressing his knee into her gut. Before Sayo could do anything, Batman once again activated his device and gave a her another forceful point-blank shockwave to the stomach. Sayo panted hard, still conscious but weakened.

"Shit, that crap's strong as hell..."

" **Stay out of my way."**

"You took the words right out of my mouth." A voice came out from behind Batman but he had already heard them so when the assailant swung their sword, Batman blocked it with his own gauntlet. The sword nearly completely cut through his gauntlet, which surprised the Caped Crusader.

" **Who are you?"**

Yuko stood dressed in white leather pants with a short white jacket that exposed her stomach. The jacket was open and exposed her extremely generous cleavage and a left tattoo of a cross with leaves diagonally circled around it on her left breast. Her brown hair began to slowly turn white as she pulled out a katana from her hip.

"I'm a surgeon, who excises tumors from the body. My blade can feel the intent of the enemy before it pierces its prey's skin. You are an antibody who protects the body from viruses but you do not yet realize what it means to remove tumors. You are attacking the immune system that seeks to protect the body we call society."

" **You're not protecting anything. You murdering people based on your justifications of who should live and who should die. There is no chance for redemption, no reminder of the right path."**

"The job of a surgeon is to weigh the life and health of the body. If I must, I will cut the body open and operate on the tumors to save the entirety of the body."

" **This isn't operation. Everyone can benefit society. They just need motivation."**

Yuko pointed her sword at him. "And what motivation would you recommend?"

Batman cracked his knuckles. **"Fear."**

Yuko ran forward and tried to give Batman a downward slash but Batman flipped out of the way and threw a batarang at her. Yuko was quick as well, and threw a golden kunai. The projectiles collided and fell to the ground. Yuko smirked.

"Not bad." She turned to her fallen friend. "Hitsugi, are you alright?"

"I was just getting started..." She slowly got back on her feet, stumbling slightly.

"Good. We need to end this quickly."

 _'Hitsugi, Yuko, the target is escaping on a raft. I can't chase him because my legs are numb. You guys need to hurry.'_

Batman narrowed his eyes. _**"I need to end this now."**_

"Alert Ampule One in case we're unable to chase him. Keep him in your sight so you can relay the location."

 _'Roger.'_

"Hitsugi, we're going to end this now."

"Aye aye."

Batman reached into his belt and threw a flash grenade, blinding the two women. Yuko closed her eyes and let the environment take hold of her senses. She extended them, peering for any giveaways to his position. There was none; Batman was gone.

On the water, Aoi was speedily riding to the shore with a triumphant glint in his eye. "Hahah! Take that, bitches!" He glanced over his shoulder at the ship, the size of it shrinking as he got further away. "No one's getting me now! You can all go rot in hell!"

Aoi eventually landed on a bank underneath a bridge. He stumbled out of the raft and dropped down to his hands and knees before chucking up all of his stomach's contents. "That was some scary shit... but now it's over..." He raised his head to see a gun pointed at his face. Holding the gun was a man in a black helmet. Behind the helmet, he had demonic red eyes, the eyes of a killer. Behind him, stood a girl dressed in a white jacket with a black scarf covering half her face.

"No, no, not more!"

Arashi grabbed Aoi by the collar and put the barrel to his neck. "You're going to start talking."

Aoi had tears running down his face and a look of defeat in his eyes. Before he could say anything, however, batarangs flew out of nowhere and knocked the gun out of Arashi's hand. Arashi jump rolled out of the way of two more batarangs that embedded the ground. Mikoto aimed her gun at the darkness but saw no one.

"Damn it... this fucker again!" Batman appeared from the shadows and before Mikoto caught sight of him, he quickly disarmed her and then kicked her in the stomach. The kick knocked her back and forced her to the ground. Mikoto held her stomach and cringed from the pain. Arashi tried to punch Batman but Batman parried the strike before headbutting his helmet, cracking it. Arashi stumbled back and Batman dropped down and gave him a spin kick, knocking him off his feet. Arashi recovered by landing on his hands and flipping onto his feet. Before he could even set his feet on the ground, Batman had punched through the glass of his helmet, knocking Arashi to the ground. Batman turned his attention to Aoi when Mikoto tried to give Batman a kick to the head but Batman grabbed her leg and threw her over his hip like she was an amateur because, compared to him, she was.

After disposing of the two, Batman strode up to Aoi who was lying on the ground. His eyes had the look of a man who was being driven mad from fear. He had lost all will to resist, to run and perhaps even to live. Batman pressed his fingers to his ears.

" **Oracle, I'm bringing Aoi in. Be ready with the arrest."**

* * *

Konomi and her partner, Tatara, arrived on the block where Batman had left the man hanging. He was unconscious but you could see he had been crying beforehand.

"Tch, that Bat-masked freak did this?"

"Yes, I got an anonymous call saying someone had left him dangling from a lamppost."

"Damn! This guy's making fun of the law... underestimating us cops by acting like he can do what we can't. Damn it..."

"In any case, we should take him back to the station. Something tells me he has a lot to say."

After cutting the man down, they drove back to the police station. High above ground from a rooftop, Batman had watched over the capture to make sure no occurrences would take place while they did so. As soon as they drove off did Batman grapple away into the city, going off to complete more work.

From their vantage point, Black Label watched the Batman swing away. Miki put down her binoculars, sighing.

"Even with all of us working on this operation, we still couldn't do it. Whoever this guy is, he adapts well. He needs to be our number one priority if he's going to continue interfering with the triage."

Arashi looked down at the helmet that he held in his hand. The glass was completely shattered with some of his blood on the shards. Small scars could be seen on his face from this. He tightened his fist in frustration as the realization hit him. He wasn't strong enough. In front of the Batman, he was little more than a nuisance. He still needed to become stronger to carry out the triage. Much stronger.

Mikoto noticed Arashi's frustration and gave him a sympathetic look. She then turned her attention to Sayo, who plopped down on the roof, holding her side. "Hitsugi-nee-san, are you alright?"

"Ugh... that asshole... I don't know what he used but if I see him again, I'm ripping his head off."

"We can't do that yet." Miki turned to her, her hands on her hips. "We need to take all the information we learned from this encounter and take it back to Dr. Mochizuki. Right, Yuko?" She turned to her friend for support but she wasn't paying attention. Instead, she was still staring at where Batman had swung off. "Yuko?"

"Hm?" She finally turned her attention to Miki, shaking herself out of her trance. "Right..."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Her mind wandered back to the conversation she and the Batman had:

" _I'm a surgeon, who excises tumors from the body. My blade can feel the intent of the enemy before it pierces its prey's skin. You are an antibody who protects the body from viruses but you do not yet realize what it means to remove tumors. You are attacking the immune system that seeks to protect the body we call society."_

" _ **You're not protecting anything. You murdering people based on your justifications of who should live and who should die. There is no chance for redemption, no reminder of the right path."**_

" _Perhaps... was he... right?"_ Yuko shook the idea off and began walking away. "Come. Let's return to the doctor. I'm sure he's eager to hear of our failure."


	6. Chapter 6: In Your Head

_The kids ran through the forest, panting and chasing each other. They played tag, pumping their legs and lungs full of oxygen as they tried to catch each other. Ryuu ran for Arashi, tackling him to the ground. The two laughed it off happily with Ryuu lightly tapping Arashi on the face._

" _Tag, you're it!"_

" _That's not fair, Ryuu! You know these forests better than me!"_

" _Don't be complaining about that kind of stuff. You can't complain when things don't go your way. If you don't like it, just adapt to it or something."_

" _Adapt?"_

" _Yeah. My dad says that adapting is the only way to survive. So just do that!"  
_

" _I dunno how to do that. It sounds hard."_

" _Hey, Arashi..."_

" _What's up, Ryuu?"_

" _Why did you let him beat you?"_

" _Huh? Who're you talking about?"_

" _Why did you let the Batman beat you like that? Like you were some amateur?"_

" _Who's that? What are you talking about?"_

 _Ryuu grabbed Arashi's neck and began squeezing it tightly, reducing his ability to breathe. "Why, Arashi? Why?! Why did you let him beat you?! Why aren't you strong enough?!"_

" _Ryuu...! You're hurting me!" Arashi choked out, tears building in his eyes.  
_

" _WHY?!"_

"I DON'T KNOW!"

"AAH!" Arashi woke up with a start, sitting up with a cold sweat. He was panting hard, his heart racing. "I... don't know..." He put his hand to his face, his eyes wide. "I don't know..."

* * *

"...And that's basically what happened." Miki was recounting the mission details while Arashi, Yuko, Oriha and Mikoto sat on the benches. They all looked down and disappointed.

"I see..." Dr. Mochizuki replied slowly. "This man, the Batman, is interfering with true justice. He doesn't understand what it takes to protect society. I had hoped that perhaps we could use him but if he is only going to prove detrimental then our duty is clear... I am assigning a black label to the Batman. Arashi, Mikoto," They raised their heads in attention. "You said you knew his identity?"

"Yes, doctor." Mikoto replied. "We asked the owner of a restaurant about him and he said his name is Ryu Komori and that he is a shareholder at a company."

"Ran, search this name up in the database."

Using the holographic computer, the blonde woman typed up the name and had it run through the program. "Nothing... no information at all about this man. Not about where he was born, what he does... he is a complete ghost."

Mochizuki sighed. "It looks like we'll have to play it by ear. I'll be leaving the extermination of the Batman to Ampule Zero. This man, who was able to take out Hitsugi, is too much for Ampule One."

"Understood, doctor..." Arashi tightly squeezed his fist with his other hand.

"How is Hitsugi-nee-san, anyway?" Mikoto asked.

"She's fine. She had a little internal bleeding but otherwise is alright."

"That's good news." Mikoto said in relief.

"It is." Mochizuki replied. "Ran, have Inunaki come over for a meeting, we'll see what he knows. For now, we will wait until this man reveals himself from the shadows and when we do, we'll seize him. Meeting dismissed."

After everyone left, a figure dropped down from a vent above and landed in front of the desk silently. The figure narrowed his eyes, pressing his fingers to his ear. **"Did you get that?"**

 _'Yeah, luckily for us, I erased your name from most databases so you wouldn't get found out by them. Do you want me to restore it later on?'_

" **If it's not there when the police search for it, it'll be suspicious."**

 _'Why would the police search for it?'_

" **Just a precaution."**

 _'If you say so...'_

Batman walked over to the computer, implanting a USB device into it. **"Siphon all their data from this computer. I want to know everything about their operations and their plans."**

 _'Gotcha. Just hang on.'_

Batman glanced around the room, taking out a capsule on his belt and taking pictures of the place.

 _'Woah...'_

" **What have you got?"**

 _'These guys are hardcore, like some serious hardcore military-type people. I think you should get back here and see the files yourself.'_

" **After."**

 _'After what?'_

" **I look around."**

 _'Ryu!'_

Batman cut off the transmission and took out the USB. He grappled back up to the vents and began moving through them.

" _ **These people have been around for a long time, long enough to establish a network of agents and killers. These people have been working their way up from the bottom of the criminal hierarchy, just recently going for higher criminals. I won't let them do as they please. So long as I'm here, this is**_ **my** ** _city and no one will do as they please. I don't care who they are. The more I know about this organization, the better."_**

Batman came upon a dark room where Mochizuki and Ran were in front of a holographic city. Mochizuki was staring at it for a long time, his eyes shadowed but steady and stern.

"Ran, what reports did we get from Hijiri at Police headquarters?"

"We learned that the man, Aoi Iwata, was booked a few hours ago. He hasn't posted bail yet and has so far remained in a catatonic state. He hasn't offered a testimony as of yet and we don't yet know whether or not, someone from the criminal world will either try to break him out..."

"...Or shut him up. So, we're in the dark right now?"

"I'm afraid so, sir."

"This man... Ryu Komori a.k.a. The Batman... he intends good upon this city. However, he doesn't know what will come from these lesions if we simply manage them and not treat them. There is only one to cure an illness... eliminate it."

"Agreed, Dr. Mochizuki."

"We need to contact Shinichiro, see what he knows."

"Understood."

Batman continued moving through the vents as Konomi talked in his ear.

 _'Aw, I can't believe that!'_

" **You know who they're talking about?"**

 _'Yes, Hijiri-kun has been on the force for a few months now. We've been on a few cases together... I would have never known... Of course, I guess I would've never known about plenty of things if I wasn't on this computer.'_

Batman stayed silent, moving to another grate, where he saw a garage with motorcycles and a few trucks. Working on a black motorcycle was Mikoto, getting oil and grease all over her hands. She seemed content, fixing up the bike and tuning it. After tightening some bolts, she tossed the wrench in the box and wiped her brow with a satisfied smile.

"We just can't seem to stop messing up your bike... eh, brother?"

"Mikoto." She spun around behind her to see Miki walk into the garage. "Do you have a second?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"I just wanted to know if you were okay... after you and Arashi had a run-in with the Batman, I heard you got hit pretty hard. Are you alright?"

Mikoto sighed, looking down at the floor. "I'm fine... It didn't even hurt that much."

Miki lifted up Mikoto's chin, looking her right in the eye. She had a stern but worried look on her face. "Don't lie. You can get a check-up if you need it. It won't hurt anyone."

Mikoto, irritated, swatted Miki's hand off and gave an angry look. "I said I'm fine. I don't need you babying me all the time."

"That's my job! I'm supposed to look out for you."

"I can take care of myself! You're not my mother or anything so just leave me alone!" Mikoto stopped cold after what she just said, while Miki sighed sadly and turned on her heel and left the room. Mikoto exhaled slowly, slamming her fist against her thigh.

"Damn it..."

Batman continued down the vents where he came upon another room, this time a music room. It was pink, completely pink with fluffy animals and pink furniture. Sitting on her couch in a pink top and black skirt was Oriha. She was writing something on a paper, humming to herself.

"Okay... rehearsal!" She jumped off her couch and spun around, putting her imaginary mike to her face. "If you wanna take a ride on my ship then that's all up to you! The sea of space is OriOri's sea! Galactic Onstage! … No, that doesn't sound right." Oriha plopped back down on her couch, continuing to write up some notes. "I don't know... hmm... Ugh, this is so hard!" Oriha sighed, scratching her forehead. "I won't lose to that stupid Haron though! I know!" She got off her couch again and picked up the cell phone from her desk. "I'll give Aya-tan a call and see if she'll help me out."

Batman continued down the vent, silently moving through in his crouched position. The fact that he was bent as he was offered him no discomfort. He had grown used to such a thing when he had to do this type of training for Indian wrestling. Batman stopped at yet another grate and peered through it to see a gym complete with weights and a punching bag. The weights, such as the dumbbells, had absurd numbers on them, however. On the couch, in a scanty shirt that covered half of her breasts and revealed her very toned stomach along with a black thong was Hitsugi, who was lifting the weights with one hand. She look focused and angry, with her eyes glaring at the floor. She sighed and threw the weight on the floor, creating a large dent.

" _I can't believe I let that son of bitch get the better of me... If I had taken care of him back in the ship, we wouldn't have failed the mission..."_ Hitsugi clicked her teeth, striding over to the punching bag. She raised her arm and punched the bag, sending it flying into the wall. The bag had sand pouring out of it and the wall was cracked.

"Damn it to hell... I swear to God the next time I meet the Batman, I'll rip his damn head off."

" _ **Noted."**_ Batman continued down the vent, moving through another set of grates that peered into the hallway. Batman came upon a split in the path where one path of the vent continued forward while another continued left. He went left and eventually came upon another grate. This grate peered outside, where a wide, open grass yard could be seen. Apple trees were planted around and in the middle of the yard was the same man in the wheelchair, Mochizuki along with the blond woman, Ran.

"Ran, how are Arashi's dosages?"

"Stable. He hasn't needed to increase his rate of consumption as of yet."

"Good. I don't yet know if any negative effects will come from us using D99 on him."

"I'm sure he'll be fine. For now, you should really just worry about yourself."

"The irony isn't foreign to me... I created an organization to deal with tumors and the cancer of this city yet I am ravaged with a deadly, life-consuming disease myself. I'll probably die before I can see this city cured..."

"Don't say that." Ran said softly. "You'll be here. We'll all be here, because they'll get it done. We have to."

Batman continued back down the vent he came before turning left again, and going straight from he were he was before. This time Batman walked over a grate that looked down into some sort of shooting range and there the boy, Arashi, stood holding a gun at a target. He wore his red and black suit, without his helmet and instead wore earphones. He shot the bullets off, aiming for the target in the middle of the chest but he never could completely get it, always a bit off target. He clicked his teeth in frustration, taking off the earphones.

"You're still not strong yet."

Arashi turned to his side to see his young friend, Ryuu, standing beside him and staring at the shots he fired along with their impact points. "I know..."

"Your hands are trembling."

"I know!" Arashi angrily threw the gun at the wall. "I know, Ryuu... I know I'm weak. Even after all this time, I haven't used your arm and leg for its proper uses. I'm sorry..." Arashi dugs his fingers into his palm, making a fist. "I can't get in the way... no matter how much I want to help, I'd only get in the way. I still haven't proven myself. I still need to get stronger." Arashi sighed to himself as Ryuu had already disappeared.

Batman narrowed his eyes down at the boy. _**"He's talking to himself... Is he imagining the boy, Ryuu or..."**_

Batman, after waiting several more moments, continued down the vent for a while. His mind replayed over everything he saw and heard. He had discerned several psychological weaknesses he could use against them and now knew their base. Batman came upon his final room, the vent stopping in a dark, wooden room with a Japanese theme. There were columns all around and the dim light could be seen from a circle of candles. In the center of those candles was Yuko, sitting in a lotus position in white panties and a purple tank top. She was meditating with her sword horizontally laid across her legs.

"Come down from there." She announced aloud. "I know you've been lurking around here for awhile. Haven't you seen enough?"

Batman busted out from the vent, landing crouched on the floor. Standing to his full height, he looked around the room to see it was spacious with samurai armor and katanas around the room.

" **I'm in your head, aren't I?"**

This statement made Yuko's eyes fly open. "What?"

" **You noticed my presence back in the meeting room, yet you kept her mouth shut. You are meditating now but your breathing has been hitched, meaning you're unable to clear your mind properly. Something is keeping you back and if I were a detective, I might put two-and-two together. I'm on your mind, swordsman."**

Yuko smiled bitterly. "You're quite the analyst and that's a pretty elaborate theory you've laid out." She stood up with her sword in hand, facing him now.

" **I don't see you denying it."**

Yuko pointed the sword at the Dark Knight. "Tell me... do you really believe in the consciousness of people to such a degree that you would refuse to kill even one?"

" **The conditions of the city are not foreign to me. Poverty, desperation and peer pressure bring about some of these criminals, forging them into hardened criminals that would be indistinguishable from the filth who willingly chose this life. When Hell becomes all you know, the stars become omens and the Heavens become foreboding."**

"You're quite the philosophical man..."

" **If I wasn't, I wouldn't be doing this."**

"Touché." Yuko sprang forward, bringing her sword down to cut Batman in half. Batman sidestepped it, jumping back and threw three batarangs at her. She quickly cleaved them in half as Batman reached back and pulled out the blade from a nearby shelf. He blocked her next strike, shifting his body with the blade and moving out of the way. Yuko spun on her heel and tried to stab him behind her. He stepped back before using the blocking edge of the sword to attack her neck. She dodged it, coming around with a horizontal sword strike. The cut was powerful enough to cut his Kevlar chest plate in a somewhat deep slash. Batman brought the sword down on her and she stepped back in a stance and blocked it. Redirecting the sword, she spun and tried to slash at his neck but Batman blocked it with his gauntlet, which she nearly cut through and he quickly disarmed her. She wouldn't go down that easy and kicked him the gut, sending him skidding back a few feet. Yuko rushed forward and did a low spin kick on Batman's legs, knocking him to the floor. She then jumped on top of him, pinning him down with her body. Grabbing her sword, she put the blade to his neck and glared at him with a dangerous smirk.

"You'll be excised here and now."

" **Unlikely."**

The smirk disappeared but the glared remained. "Do you doubt my ability to kill you?"

" **Yes. If anything, that fight just now proved my suspicions – I'm in your head. You can't kill a thought with a sword."**

"I can try."

" **Then try."**

The blade edged closer to his veins, the pressure beginning to be felt. The next thing that happened was she embedded the blade into the wooden floor, leaned down and kissed Batman on the lips. Though his eyes widened in slight surprise, he made no move to resist. Yuko's lips remained on his for several moments, the taste of cherries imprinted on them. After she parted, she looked down at him thoughtfully with her hands on his torn chest. He didn't say anything and neither did she. For a second, all she could was stare into his red cowl lenses, trying to peer into the man behind the mask. She sighed before getting up and grabbing her sword.

"Leave." She quietly ordered.

Batman stood to his feet and watched as she sat back on the floor, back to him, and resumed her meditation. He narrowed his eyes at her before choosing to move on. Before he left, he looked over his shoulder at her one last time.

" **I _will_ bring this organization down." **

"You'll try." She retorted. "And just for your information..." She glanced over her shoulder, a somewhat superior half-smile on her face. "I took it easy on you too."

Batman walked out of the room while Yuko let the awareness of his presence fade away. Now alone in the room, she wasn't aware when her fingers flew to her lips to faintly feel them as if the question of what sensation she got from kissing the Batman would fade as well. She smiled to herself as a candle blew out.

A.N.: Sorry for the late update guys, been kinda busy with this, that and that and this. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter and are enjoying the story so far. Let me know with a review if you are and follow and favorite if you want to stay updated. Also, be sure to let me know what your harem preferences are. I have no real limits - so yes, good guys, 'bad guys', whatever. Like I said, just because you want it doesn't mean the wish will necessarily get granted but I will take it into consideration. And also, when mentioning who you want be sure to let me know who you don't want, because that's kind of important too. Thanks guys and until next time.

Green out.


	7. Chapter 7: Sharing

"Well, what do you think, Ryu-kun?"

"Komori, Tobishiro."

"Right, _Komori-san."_

Bruce and Kyoji walked through the halls of Tobishiro's medical facility. Bruce was here on business, to personally inspect this new so-called anesthetic that the businessman spouted about. Behind them, was Kyoji's assistant, Goryu. Bruce's instincts never failed as they were a primary factor in keeping him alive over the years and they told him that there was a perverse air to Kyoji. The body language of Goryu told him she wasn't treated well. This didn't make Bruce a happy camper.

"It does seem like this drug is promising."

"Well, then, can I count on your contribution?"

"Maybe. I want my people to test it personally, see if it truly is what it is. After all, when making a business contribution, you have to make certain your money is going to the right place. Isn't that right... Goryu-chan?" Bruce turned to her with a charming smile.

Goryu was caught off guard and only stammered but with a noticeable blush. Kyoji was seething and glaring at Goryu, who quickly looked away from Bruce. Bruce glanced down at Kyoji, who looked up with a fake smile, trying and failing to trick Bruce.

"I'll have my people come by and check this out tomorrow. Then, I'll give you a definite answer. Until then, Tobishiro." Bruce, with his hand in his pocket, walked off coolly.

* * *

"So, I looked through the files and what I found was records that Mochizuki was in a mercenary group some years ago."

Konomi and Bruce sat in a cafe, where Konomi downed, in quite a slobbish fashion, a huge burger and some fries. Bruce sat across from her, drinking only water.

"All of them have, at some point or another, been in a near-death experience and have since been recruited. They are well-trained, both past and current members."

"So am I."

"I've noticed. Still, that's not the most interesting fact. I've done some digging and found out about a drug called D99."

"I've heard that name. The doctor mentioned something like that. What do you know about it?"

"Nothing, yet. I still need to do some digging. By the way, I got found some news you might want to know..."

"That is?"

"One of the corporate leaders from Tokyo is coming to visit Tobioka city to meet with some business partners. He's largely responsible for several illegal experiment facilities that the police have swept under the rug. He's been trying to create a secret new hallucinogen that tests have shown to cause permanent mental damage in its subjects. Of course, he doesn't care and is planning to pass it off as candies to children. Its addictive properties will drive parents to keep buying it for them."

Bruce glared hard, his veins popping in forehead. "Over my dead body."

"Are you sure you don't want any?" She asked with a spot ketchup on her cheek.

Bruce shook his head before reaching out and swiping the mark away with his thumb. "I'm quite sure. You should watch yourself too. You can't learn the self-defense techniques I've been teaching you while feeling bloated."

"I'll be fine!" She loudly slurped down her drink. "I burn through calories like a machine, trust me." She grabbed her empty fries container and raised it. "More, please!"

From the counter, a green haired girl in a cafe uniform watched the table with Konomi and Bruce. She was particularly staring at Bruce in a dreamy-like fashion. He had frequented this cafe with that girl several times before and she had interacted with him as well. Now, she wasn't afraid to admit, not to herself at least, she had a huge crush on him and practically despised Konomi, unable to see what he saw in her. She did find his wiping her cheek kind of cute, though.

"Momokino! What are you doing?"

Yuu Momokino, an average height girl with short green hair, brown eyes and breasts nearly the size of Konomi's, turned around to face her manager, who was looking at her crossly.

"Sir?"

"That lady just asked for a refill! Get going already!"

"Right!"

Taking a container of fries, she rushed over to Konomi to give her a refill. She glanced at Bruce meekly, who smiled at her, making her blush.

"Are you all set here?" She asked.

"Yep, thanks!" Konomi replied cheerfully.

"Working hard, Momokino-san?" Bruce asked with a toothy grin.

Yuu turned to Bruce with a wide smile, nodding eagerly. "Yes. My little brother, one of three, wants a new scooter, so..."

"Well, here. Let me help you out..." He took out a check and wrote $100 on it. "This is for you."

"What?! No, no, I couldn't possibly..." She shook her head and waved her hands.

"Shush." He rose up and put the check in her chest pocket, patting the pocket softly. "Just take it. Honestly, it's no trouble."

Blushing from the close proximity, Yuu could only nod and resist the urge to kiss him. She honestly found his face endearing to stare at.

"Momokino!" The manager sternly called her.

"Oh, that's my boss... Thank you so much, Komori-san." She bowed politely while Bruce waved it off. Sitting back, he saw Konomi staring at him.

"What?"

"I just realized something... The Black Label organization is made up of several operatives who are now willing to kill you."

"So?"

"So... we need help. Recruitment. People who can do things when you can't."

"I don't want to recruit anybody into this war. I can't put somebody's life on the line like that. I don't even like you being involved with this."

"Ryu..." With seriousness, she looked him in the eyes. "You can't win a war with one soldier. We need other people, partners you can depend on."

"I've been doing fine." He insisted.

"You're only human."

"Enough. I work better by myself. Having a partner out there would just be another body I need to protect. If someone else dies because of me..." His parents flashed before his eyes.

"Ryu..." BOOM!

The two were interrupted by a loud crash and everyone's eyes were turned to the entrance, where a hole was made in the wall. Two women dressed in red coats with short ponytails and green eyes along with green glasses stood at the entrance.

"Ladies and gentlemen..." The woman on the right smirked devilishly. "Sorry to interrupt your evening but I'll be taking all of your lives now."

A rocket hit the top of the building, collapsing the roof around the cafe. Bruce and Konomi jumped out of their seats and dove to the floor as the pieces of the roof came and destroyed their table. People began panicking quickly and sprinted toward the back door.

"Go!"

"Move, move!"

"Get the fuck out of my way!"

"Move bitch!"

"RUN! RUN!"

"Ahahahahah! Look at 'em run, Kaori!"

"Quiet, you idiot." Kaori glanced at the sky, seeing the helicopter D was flying.

"So, all we have to do is cause a scene, scare a few people and then leave, right?"

"Right."

"Freeze!" Konomi pointed a gun at them. "Police! Hold your hands over your head!"

In the back of the cafe, Bruce narrowed his eyes. _"Konomi stands no chance against those two. I don't have my gear and there's no other way of fighting these foes. I need a way to get out of here."_

"Komori-san!"

Bruce turned around to see Yuu tackle him out of the way of a falling debris and to the floor, where she lay on top of him.

"Are you okay?"

"What are you still doing here?!"

"I couldn't just leave you!"

"Don't worry about me, just get out of here!"

"Then come with me!"

"I'll leave when everyone's evacuated!"

"But-"

"Don't argue with me, just leave!"

Konomi was forced to jump back from the collaborated ground punch that the two red haired girls gave, the power cracking the ground itself. Konomi tried to shoot them but they immediately dodged it and knocked the gun out of her hand before Kaoru lifted her up by the neck.

"Hey, Kaori, there's no harm in killing just one civilian, right?"

"I guess not." They smirked devilishly, now wearing demonic masks.

Before anybody could make a move, Bruce jumped onto Kaoru's back, holding her in a chokehold.

"Hey, what the hell?" Kaoru threw Bruce over her shoulder and raised her foot to stomp in his face. Before she could, Yuu slammed a chair on her head, knocking her down. Kaori turned to Yuu with a glare.

"Damn worm."

Konomi shot at Kaori, who dodged the bullet while Bruce pressed a button on his watch. He then jumped forward and tackled Yuu and Konomi to the ground.

"What's that?" Kaoru asked as she got up from the ground.

The sound of revving bike was heard and when they turned around, black armored motorcycle ran into Kaori and continued until it crashed into a wall.

"Kaori!" Kaoru looked around for the three to see they weren't there. "Tch!"

The motorcycle was thrown away from the rubble as Kaori stood up and dusted herself off, with a few scrapes and cuts but otherwise fine. "He got away..." Kaori narrowed her eyes before their attention was drawn to the bike, which self-destructed and burned. "Who was that man?"

"So, what do we do now?" Kaoru asked.

"We leave. Our only mission here was to cause a ruckus, to create public disturbance. This should have been just fine. Let's go."

"Right!"

* * *

In the hospital, Yuu rested in a hospital bed. A knock was heard at her door and red hair was seen peeking through the door.

"Excuse me," Konomi shyly entered. "Are you alright, Momokino-san?"

"Yes, thank you." She nodded. "The debris from the bike's entrance didn't hit my head that hard. It's just a slight concussion."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Is Komori-san alright?" She asked quickly.

"Uh, yes, he's fine. He's quite tough. May I... ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you care so much about Ryu?"

Yuu blushed a bright pink before looking down meekly at her sheets. "I... Honestly, I've never met someone like Komori-san. He's so kind and gentle and... mysterious. I don't know if I should tell you this... but I've had a crush on Ryu ever since we met."

Konomi's eyes widened but what shocked her more was when Yuu grabbed her hand and looked at her desperately. "Please... I know you care about him." She continued. "But don't keep him to yourself."

"What?"

"I see it, in his eyes... The despair. I want to help him!"

"He's much more than what he shows."

"I know... but still, I want to be with him in any way I can. So, that's why I'm asking you, please don't keep him to yourself."

Konomi's mind glossed over the thought. _"Ryu, me and her? That's such a weird, ridiculous thought. The obvious, gut reaction is no but..."_ Her mind flashed back to what she said about recruitment. _"Maybe... it's... not so weird?"_

"Momokino-san? What... special skills do you have?"

"Skills? Well... I have an eidetic memory and I can multi-task really easily. I picked up the ability to do so (multi-task) at school."

"What school do you go to?"

"Mochizuki High."

Konomi smirked. _"Yep... I think we got our answer for what we could use her for."_ Konomi grabbed Yuu's hands softly before sitting in her bed. "Alright, Yuu-san. I'll share him but there's a certain amount of danger in being involved with men like that. Can you handle it?"

Yuu smiled and gave a thumbs-up. "Absolutely!"

A knock was heard at the door and a second later, Bruce walked in waving. "Momokino-san, I just wanted to check-" The second he got close to the bed, Yuu sprang up, grabbed his collar and pulled him in for a kiss. Bruce was too surprised to respond, his eyes wide and glancing back and forth between Yuu and Konomi, who winked at him.

"Wha-?"

"Please, call me Yuu-chan." She happily laid her head on his chest, the action doing nothing to help his confusion. Before he could get any answers however, three boys who were completely identical ran through the door and jumped on the bed, hugging their sister.

* * *

"Oh, you guys are back?"

Kaori and Kaoru walked into a dark, warehouse room where a green-haired girl sat a computer. In the shadows, a man dressed in black with a upside down skull mask on and one eye visible along with a trenchcoat stood in the shadows.

"Yes. We broke the restaurant."

"It crumbled like 'BOOM!' and then 'BOW'! Hahah! Those guys didn't know what hit 'em!"

"Quiet." Kaori scolded. "We ran into some interference though."

"Black Label?"

"No. There was no assailant but rather, an advanced motorcycle. It was remote controlled from somewhere, by someone."

"Well, that's no good." The girl said, typing on her keyboard. "Hey, D?"

"Hm?" The skull-faced man replied.

"Have Ogawa sick his lapdog on this guy. Monitor his interactions and find out how he operates. Then, we'll be able to take them down." She stuck her tongue out, a piercing being seen on it. "We can't let anyone get in the way of Hunt's plans."

"Got it."

"Heehee... I guess we'll be killing the Batman pretty soon."


	8. Chapter 8: Contribution

A.N.: It seems that this fic is gaining the interest of a few readers. That makes me happy and I thank you for your continued reading. Also, to clarify, this isn't the comics Batman but my version of him which is similar to the comics in most ways yet different in a couple. It follows my main series of him so if you're interested in how I depict him or the description of his suit or any other minor background info, check out my Batman Chronicles series. The stories can be accessed by going to my profile and they're pretty good, if I do say so myself. But to offer some basic information: He's in his mid-20s, which is actually younger than Yuko, he's in his 2nd year of crime fighting (meaning he has yet to meet Superman or Joker and that he has not yet gone through the things that you would normally associate with him and is still relatively young and inexperienced) and has not yet made Dick Grayson his partner in crime. The rules of Bat-mite can be seen here: s/11428940/3/Batman-Adventure-Chronicles-World-of-Shinobi for anyone who is interested. So please keep those facts in mind and remember to R&R! Enjoy!

* * *

Bruce's eyes fluttered open from the sunlight that hit them. The first thing he noticed was that he was lying in grass and that Yuu's head was resting on his lap. She was peacefully and cutely snoring, with rosy cheeks and incomprehensible mumbles. Bruce returned his attention to the sky, his mind wandering back to the lengthy discussion he and Konomi had about Yuu's recruitment.

 _Leaving the hospital room, Bruce dragged Konomi out into the hall where, luckily, no one was._

" _What were you thinking?!"_

" _Look, I know you're angry-"_

" _I told you I didn't want anyone in this war."_

" _Listen, just hear me out. She is a student at the Mochizuki High School, where Kiba and Mikami attend. She can keep track of their movements for us, go on undercover missions and learn more about them for future use. She can help you and she wants to!"  
_

" _Does she even know who she's getting involved with?"_

" _No. I thought you should tell her yourself."_

" _I'm going to tell her that she can't join me. I don't want to risk her life."_

" _Just think about it. By putting more lives on the line, we can save more people. There's no way to save the city without taking serious risks. It's how every organization, like the police, does it."_

" _I'm not a cop. And I'm not going to put her life on the line for my own goals." He said with finality in his tone. He walked past Konomi and opened the door. Yuu's brothers had gone, walked back home on her request. Upon Bruce's entry, she smiled wide with rosy cheeks._

 _He smiled back politely before pulling up a chair near her bedside. "Listen, Yuu-san... I don't know what Konomi told you but... you can't associate yourself with me."_

 _This statement made her gasp in surprise and confusion. "But why?!" She exclaimed. "Is is because I'm young? Because I'm more mature than I seem! I can still take care of my brothers and help you! School or work won't be a problem either! I can help you in your cause, I swear!"_

 _Bruce's eyes narrowed slightly. "What did she tell you about my cause?" Konomi, who now stood by him, looked rather nonchalant when he glanced behind him._

" _She just told me that you were doing all you can to rid Tobioka City of crime, to make it a better place. A place where my brothers can play and run without worry or anxiety. I want to contribute to that in anyway I can! So please... don't turn me away..."_

 _Bruce stared at her a long time, peering into her eyes to test her resolve. She neither flinched nor wavered. Bruce's head drooped down in defeat and he drew out a long, protracted sigh. "...Fine." He finally said. Yuu's eyes brightened up and Konomi looked down in interest. "I'll let you help. I'll let you be my eyes and ears to defeat crime. But you have to prove yourself with two facts..."_

" _Facts?"_

" _The first fact... Your senior, Mikoto Kiba, and your classmate, Arashi Mikami, are part of the so-called terrorist group that has been said to mercilessly eliminate criminals."_

" _What?!" Every interaction she ever had with Mikoto and Arashi flashed through her mind. "But the-they never seemed like..."_

" _If you were to help me in my mission, you would have to spy on them, to interact with them and take any useful information from your conversations. Could you do this?"_

 _Yuu glanced down at her hands, contemplating the decision._ "I would have to be spying on my classmates... they could be criminals and they could even go to jail... but if that's what it takes..."

 _She glanced back up at Bruce and nodded firmly. "Yes. I can do that."_

" _The other fact you would need to accept is... I'm... working with the Batman."_

From there, her reaction and responses were mainstream and predictable. She had all sorts of questions, followed by a slight reservation before a steeled decision.

" _I want to devote myself to a cause!"_ She said.

From there, Konomi suggested that after she is cleared from Torosaki Medical Center, he and Yuu go for a stroll so that he may learn more about her. An "unofficial" first date, if you will. Bruce sighed and closed his eyes.

" _There's nothing outlandish about Yuu. She's quite a regular schoolgirl. She saw a guy and got too many ideas in her head about it. The fact that I 'work' with Batman has peaked her interest of me. Still, she has an amazing charisma about her and a mind steeled for justice. She could make a good cop, if she tried. Konomi's willingness to involve her in the mission is surprising, to say the least. She's more devoted to saving this city than first expected. Still, is it right of me to ask this girl to do something like this?"_

Bruce glanced down at her, watching Yuu snuggle herself on his leg. A small smile crept onto his face, despite himself. _"She is cute, though."_ He admitted, sitting up and moving a strand of loose hair out of her face. _"But I can't involve her too deep. Still, what Konomi said was right... I do need soldiers but I won't put her life on the line. She'll offer me information through careful meeting spots and calls. That's the extent and no further..."_

Bruce's thoughts were interrupted by the slow waking of Yuu, who rose up to a sitting position while rubbing her eyes. "Good morning..." She said sleepily.

Bruce gave a charming smile. "Good morning... Yuu-chan."

* * *

In the uppermost part of Tobioka City, a helicopter landed on a tall, newly constructed building. This newly constructed building was the facility of illegal experiments that would create hallucinogenic drugs. From the helicopter, a man walked out. He had a hard, stoic way about him. He was bald but had a small goatee on his face. He had a large frame and wore a simple, black business suit. On his fingers were fancy gold rings adorning various jewels from sapphires to emeralds to rubies. His subordinate walked up to him and took a polite bow.

"Welcome back, Yamamoto-sama. I trust your flight was well."

"Hmph. The plane was riddled with jet lag. I spilled a drink on myself. Tell me, are you the one who booked that flight route?"

The subordinate looked up in a slightly nervous manner. "Yes, sir. But I'll be sure not to make that mistake again."

"No... I'm sure you won't. Jump off the building."

"W-what?"

"Did I stutter?"

"Sir, I'm sorry for the unpleasantness. Please spare me! I-"

"Either jump or I'll gather your family up here and throw them off myself."

This made the man choke. Yamamoto's stoic face never fazed once and the man could clearly see and hear the seriousness of his words.

With moisture building up in the side of his eyes, the man nodded meekly before slowly walking to the edge of the roof.

"A dog should never do anything to defy his kind master. If the dog should do such a thing, it will get instantly put down with no mercy. Remember that on your fall to Hell."

"Yes sir..." The man walked off the roof and speedily fell down the building, screaming his head off until his body made a resounding 'splat!' on the ground. His bones were sticking out, his blood was everywhere and the people around the sight ran away in fear.

* * *

In the makeshift Batcave, Bruce sat in front of the cave staring at the computer screen. A news report was broadcasting.

 _'Here at downtown Tobioka, a Bombing Burger restaurant was attacked by unknown assailants, the police being unable to identify the suspects. Several people have been injured, some quite severely, by luckily, no casualties have been sustained. We are not yet able to confirm the identity of the ones responsible but eyewitnesses testify that they saw two red coat women destroy the entrance. The nationwide company has already begun plans for reconstruction.'_

When he heard the door slide open and Konomi walk in, he shut the news report off.

"Hey." She greeted. "How did it go with Momokino? Did you find out what you needed to know?"

"I did." He replied curtly.

She sighed, crossing her arms under chest. "...Are you still mad at me?"

She was startled by the sudden slam of Bruce's fist onto his chair, the sound echoing in the walls of their facility. "You went behind my back." He got up from the chair and faced her with an angry glare. "I specifically told you not recruit and you ignored me!"

She looked down sadly. "I'm sorry..."

Bruce calmed down upon seeing her like this, exhaling a breath. "Look... you can't do that. You can't betray my trust like that. I need us to be on the same page. If we go against each other..."

"...Everything will fall apart, I understand. But do you?"

"What?"

"If this really is a partnership between you and I, then this can't be you simply barking orders without challenge. I'm not some middle-aged, British butler who will cater to your every whim. You're the leader and I'll follow your judgment but when you make a wrong call, that needs to be questioned. If I can't question that and keep you alive, then there's no point in me being here."

Bruce closed his eyes in reluctant acceptance. "...True enough. You're right."

Konomi walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, the action beckoning him to open his eyes again and stare into her emerald green. "Now then... about that workout you mentioned before..."

* * *

Arashi sat near the window, gazing at the clouds that swam through the sky. The teacher was talking but despite himself, the boy couldn't find it in him to properly pay attention. This lack of attention prevented him from noticing the pair of green eyes that watched him from a few chairs away. His pocket vibrated and that's when Arashi instantly took notice. He raised his hand and excused himself from class, running out the door before his teacher could say anything. Quickly, Momokino raised her hand and excused herself as well, running out the classroom before the teacher could object and unknowingly making her best friend somewhat suspicious.

On the roof of the school, Momokino watched as Arashi ran out of the school grounds with Mikoto. She quickly dialed a phone number before putting the phone up to her ear.

 _'Yuu-chan?'_

"They're on the move, Ryu-kun. I saw Mikoto and Arashi leave the school grounds. I think they've been called on a mission."

 _'Alright. I'll be sure to let my... friend know. Good work. This will help.'_

Bruce hung up the phone before stepping out of bed. He glanced down at Konomi, who had a cover draped over herself and a laptop already on.

"Alright, if what you thought is correct," She typed on her keyboard. "Our intruders should be entering your place right about... now."

On the camera feed, he saw Miki and Yuko enter his apartment, closing the door behind him. Miki had her gun out and was on full alert. She and Yuko split up, searching the rooms for any information they could determine is useful.

Yuko entered his bedroom, spying his closet. She opened it to discover a variety of business suits and tuxedos.

"What did you find?" Miki asked, entering the room.

"Nothing important." She replied. "You?"

She shook her head. "There's nothing here to indicate anything about him that we can use. No family pictures, birth dates, nothing."

"No, there isn't. In fact, it's lack of such things is suspiciously and conveniently not here."

"You're saying he was expecting us."

Yuko nodded, glancing up at a vent where a small, unseeable camera was spying on them. "I think we're being monitored as well. He knew we'd come here eventually."

"Great. So what do we do?"

"For now, we can be assured he won't return here anytime soon. He'll know we're monitoring him. Let's go."

"Alright."

Konomi shut off the camera from her laptop. "Well, that's great. Now they know we were watching them."

Bruce had just finished putting on his black suit and fixing his red tie. "I counted on them finding out. They'll be leaving now to rendezvous with Arashi and Mikoto, who just left school."

"How do you know that?"

"The timing of them leaving and the two Black Label members entering my apartment are too close. They're more than likely to meet and discuss a target."

"I thought those two were ordered not to go after you?"

"They were. Still, they have other targets to kill. I need you to make files on them using their profiles you downloaded from their computers."

"I can do that but even in their own profiles, there is not a lot of information to go on. They were at least smart enough not to add complete files on themselves in case they got hacked."

"That idea was probably given by that blond woman, Ran. She seems to be strategist of the group and it's not impossible to believe that she would have a contingency plan such as this. Still, my observations of their behavior reveal all that's needed. From here on out, I'll be staying here or at your place, if that's alright with you."

"Sure. Oh, and when you come back from work, can you stop by the Bomb Burger place near uptown and get me a triple stack?"

Bruce exasperatedly shook his head, before sighing in defeat. "Fine..."

* * *

In the coffee room of Tobishiro's company, Bruce sauntered in to grab a bottle of water before the meeting. He figured he would need it because he could already foresee a stressful discussion. On his left, he saw Tobishiro's assistant, Goryu, waiting for some to coffee to finish brewing. She seemed to be staring at the cup of coffee in an intense fashion, as if the possibility of getting even a little off the mark would be doom for her world.

"Good morning, Goryu-san."

Turning off the machine, Goryu turned behind her in a somewhat startled manner. Upon seeing it was Ryu, she offered a small smile to which he politely returned.

"Good morning, Komori-san."

"Ah, no need to be so formal. Call me Ryu." He dismissively requested.

"Oh, I don't know if that would be appropriate... Kyoji-sama might get the wrong idea."

"Don't worry about him. It'll be fine. Besides," He leaned in close to her, whispering, "Rumor has it, he is so fat, his feet get stuck in concrete. If he's mad and ever chases you, I think you can outrun him."

So caught off from that joke of her Master was Goryu that she began slowly giggling right of the bat, unable to stop her giggling from turning into laughter. Upon finally realizing her unprofessional laughter, she covered her mouth and looked away but still couldn't stop giggling for a few moments.

"May I ask," Bruce began once her laughter died down. "Why do you work for such a hard wired boss as him?"

Goryu cast her eyes downward, her look somewhat solemn. "I have no other choice."

"You mean, that he's the only boss who would hire you is him?"

"Something like that."

"Well, if I start my own company, would you be interested in working as my personal assistant?"

Upon this question, she hesitated for a second. She smiled at him sadly but shook her head. "I can't. I have to stand by Kyoji-sama's side..."

"But why?"

Their conversation was interrupted by the entry of Kyoji himself, who peered into the room with a polite but eerie smile. "Komori-san, the meeting is about to begin."

"Alright."

"Is the coffee ready, Goryu-san?"

"Yes, Kyoji-sama." She handed him the coffee and Kyoji took a sip of it. The slight twitch of his lips indicated his dissatisfaction and Goryu flinched upon seeing it, knowing what it meant.

"Shall we go?" Kyoji handed her back the coffee before Bruce and him left for the meeting room. Outside of the room, he saw a man standing and peering into the meeting room. He was about as tall and young as Bruce, with his same build. This man had silver hair and blood red eyes. His hair fell over his face in a messy but attractive fashion. His skin was an olive brown and he wore a white suit with a black undershirt and a dark blue tie.

The man took notice of Bruce and Kyoji, smiling at them in greeting. "Komori-san, Kyoji-san, the meeting is about to start."

"Right, then, let's get to it." Kyoji entered the room first, leaving the man and Bruce outside for a brief moment.

The man held his hand out, a smile on his face. "I don't believe we've met. My name is Rouga. Rouga Shiro."

"Ryu Komori. Nice to meet you, Shiro-san."

"Likewise. Shall we?"

The two men walked inside of the room and took the seats with Bruce's and Rouga's being across from each other. While Bruce sat with his legs crossed, Rouga opted not to do so.

"Now, then, gentlemen, shall we get to business?" Tobishiro turned around and switched on a TV, displaying a chemical bond with the label 'Tone' over it.

"I assume you've all had the time to assess this anesthetic, read the lab reports and seen the projected charts that depict our potential profitability should we market this to medical facilities."

The board nodded with Rouga speaking up. "We have, Tobishiro-san. A remarkable drug it is, with no adverse effects whatsoever and cheaper than the brand already sold."

"Quite." Kyoji chuckled. "We'll sell it to the major hospitals in our city – Kurosawa Main Hospital, Torosaki Medical Center and Mochizuki General to see how it fares up with the doctors there. If it's proved popular enough then it should be smooth sailing from there. So, are we all aboard?"

Everyone around the table echoed a 'yes' but Bruce, who simply sat there calmly with his eyes closed. This lack of response annoyed Kyoji considerably.

"Are we still uncertain, Komori-san?"

"I've had my people run your drug through several tests, the same tests I'm sure everyone had their people run in a standard procedure. However, I requested other tests be taken as well and these are the results." Bruce passed papers to everyone in the room. "Young lab rats tested with this anesthetic have reported hemorrhaging, high fevers, hallucinations and death. Some have even committed suicide."

Kyoji grit his teeth as Bruce listed off the symptoms. "But-but these are just rats! They're not the same as hum-"

"Considering the similarities between mammals such as rats and humans, it isn't far-fetched to label this anesthetic dangerous. While it is true we may produce profit, it would only be short-lived. We would be at risk for being thrown in prison and never seeing another dime again." Bruce gave a cold, calculative sideways glare to Kyoji. "I'm going to offer Tobishiro-san the benefit of the doubt and not suspect that he may have known about this from the start and planned to somehow risk lives in order to make a quick buck. I'll also assume that now that these indisputable facts have come to light, he will refine this anesthetic so as to not risk anyone here or out there."

Rouga smiled in amusement as Kyoji looked down at his paper, his face hidden from everyone else. He was grinding his teeth in barely restrained rage, his eyes nearly busting out of his skull. His whole body was tense and he could feel his nostrils flaring. Then, as if it was a mask, he sat up straight with a disgustingly pleasant visage and smiled at everyone confidently.

"Of course, everyone! I'll do it, I'll get it down, no matter what! Forgive me for nearly putting us all at risk! I was so careless but thanks to Komori-san, I promise, no, I swear, such a thing will not repeat itself!"

While Kyoji made his vows, Bruce glanced outside the meeting room window to see someone walking past the room. His eyes widened ever so slightly as he recognized her as Sayo Hitsugi, dressed in a white shirt, that was buttoned down a bit and a short black skirt. She turned her face into the meeting room and winked at Bruce with a feral, deadly smile. Bruce narrowed his eyes dangerously as she turned her back to him and walked away, her hips swaying as she left.

In his office, Kyoji kicked Goryu to the ground before stomping around like a child, ranting to himself. "Damn that Komori! Everyone was on board! Everyone! How the hell did he get those results? Did he fake them?! Argh! I wish I could rip his eyes out and stuff them in his ears!" He walked over to Goryu and began kicking her side out of frustration. "Damn him, damn him, damn him, DAMN HIM!" With each curse, his kicks got harder. Goryu simply remained silent and allowed her 'master' to vent his anger.

After he finished kicking, he turned away from her and stood silent for a long time. He simply stood there, frozen and motionless, like a tree. Then, after several minutes, he began to speak again. "Goryu."

"Yes, Kyoji-sama?"

"We need to get rid of Ryu Komori. His contribution made him useful but ultimately, he's a pain in my side and I want him dead. Make it happen."

Without thinking, she blurted out, "But Kyoji-sama, must we really kill him? Isn't there any other way?"

"Huh?" He looked over his shoulder at her, livid and dark. "Are you talking back to me? Are you questioning me?!"

"No, I just-" She wasn't able to properly respond as he kicked her chin again.

"You have no right to question me! You're a tool, given to me by my father so don't say anything unless I ask of it. And why do you care if I have Komori killed, huh?" Kyoji put his foot on her face. "What the hell have you guys been talking about in that lunch room? Have you talking about me?! Well, have you?!" He stomped on her stomach several times. "Answer me, you useless bitch!"

"N-no..."

"Then shut up about it! Also..." He grabbed the coffee she gave him earlier off his desk. It was cold now. "This tasted like crap!" He flung the coffee at her, the liquid landing on her face. "Put more sugar in it next time!" He kicked her in the side several more times before storming out of the office, leaving Goryu lying on the floor, abused.

* * *

Batman stood on a rooftop, his cape fluttering the air. It was nighttime and he was overlooking a small facility on the outskirts of the city.

" **This is the facility he set up before he came down here. Yamamoto's running illegal tests in there, keeping anyone away who had questions. Hack the cameras and feed system."**

 _'Already done. According to the job schedule I procured, the guards who watched yesterday's feed aren't on duty today so no one should notice I'm playing yesterday's footage. It's so convenient that everything seems to be connected to a network nowadays.'_

" **Beginning infiltration."** Batman grappled down from the rooftop and landed in the yard-grounds. He moved behind a crate, waiting for a guard to pass him before moving forward, avoiding all the guards who conveniently had their backs turned. Quietly entering the side door through the facility, Batman found himself in a hallway. He glanced up to see his favorite passageway/infiltration method – vents. Immediately, he began moving through the vents, passing guards overhead who had no clue of his presence. The more guards with guns he saw, the more intense his glare became.

" _ **This man is definitely holding something here. However, even if I expose his experiments, I can't take them to the police. He'll simply use his influence to keep their mouths shut. I need to clean up the police force up first."**_

Batman dropped down from his vent, behind two guards who entered an elevator. He walked in with them and as they turned forward, he stepped behind them, keeping out of their sight. One of the guards pulled off a key from his neck and inserted it into a keyhole in the elevator. He punched in a code and the elevator began going down. The two guards stood there and waited for it to go down. Neither of them talked, apparently comfortable with the silence. One of the guards even reached back and picked a wedgie from between his cheeks.

When the elevator stopped, the two stepped out and went in separate directions, allowing Batman to simply walk out undetected. He was now in a large room. This room seemed to be a giant laboratory, with scientists working on the bottom floor and guards patrolling above. There were several rows of liquid chambers and floating in them were young children ranging from 5-15. They had tubes all over their bodies and were notably unconscious. Batman moved to the shadows, observing their tests from behind the scenes.

From another room, they brought in a child, kicking and screaming. He was about ten years old and seemed malnourished.

" _ **Have they been keeping them here all this time?"**_

Batman watched as they injected him with something. The boy writhed and screamed in pain, his muscles began to develop and gain in mass. He became bigger and bigger until he was eventually strong enough to break free of his bonds and grabbed a scientist's neck, snapping it and killing him. Seconds after this event, the boy dropped to the floor with a thud, now lifeless and pale.

The other scientist had no reaction to this phenomenon, but rather, the looks on their faces indicated this was the predicted result.

The lead scientist sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose before rubbing his eyes. "Yet, another failure. Shame. I suppose it was to be expected, however. We'll cease testing for today and-"

The scientist was interrupted by the elevator dinging.

"Hm? We weren't scheduled to have any more personnel here today..." The guards aimed their guns at the door. When the door slid open, a guard was thrown into the room in front of two guards who were aiming at the elevator. Strangely, they saw no one inside. Moments later, the body combusted and sent flames onto the guards, burning them alive. Jump down from the elevator, the purple-haired arsonist jump rolled behind cover as the guards shot at her from above. She pulled out her XM-25 before shooting at the machines, lighting them up and causing them to explode.

"Shit!" The scientists cursed. "She's going to cause a chain reaction and kill us all! We have to evacuate!"

One of the guards threw a grenade at her but she was suddenly pulled out of the radius of the blast by Batman, before he dove into cover with her in his arms.

Batman grabbed her by the collar and glared into her face. **"No more killing!"** He ordered crossly. The scientists ran to a machine and began inputting some commands.

"What are you doing? We have to go!"

"This will slow them down! If this lab is going to blow then it might as well blow with these lab rats doing something useful. I'll have the machines administer the N-40 injections. It won't make them as strong as the previous subjects but at least they'll fight for 4-5 minutes before they drop dead or die in the explosion."

The scientists all fled as the chambers began to open, the children inside growing twice their size. They opened their eyes to reveal soulless white underneath. The guards ran off after the scientists via some underground pathway that was blocked by a steel door.

" **We need to move!"** Batman shouted as explosions began going off all around the place. Batman grabbed the woman's hand and began running for the elevator. Just as he got to the door did a huge figure throw a machine into the elevator, blocking the entrance.

"Rawwwrr!" The enhanced child pounding his chest senselessly and behind him, dozens of his fellow test subjects began to surround Batman and the purple-haired woman. The two stood back to back, with Batman pulling out batarangs and the woman loading her gun.

The subjects roared loudly and began to charge the two, with explosions going off as the fire gained in power.


	9. Chapter 9: Captured

_'Ampule Zero will be occupied with another mission so you, Ampule One, will be going in without back-up. Your target, Takazaki, is a known cocaine dealer in the South District. Taking him out will benefit children in the schoolyards. He is a black label.'_

"On call." Arashi responded. Arashi and his partner, Mikoto, rode on the motorcycle to their destination.

"Oriha, how's it look?"

 _'It looks pretty well guarded but you guys should be able to get in through infiltration point A.'_ Oriha's speech was interrupted by the sound of crunching.

"The fu... are you eating?!"

 _'Nope~!'_

Arashi and Mikoto stopped their bike on a hill, overlooking the apartment slum that Takazaki was in. The intel had him pinned on the fifth floor, in the apartment 43. Arashi revved up the bike before rolling down the hill, the two men who stood outside the building instantly noticing them.

"What's that?!

"The Iron Mask motherfucker?!"

"Shoot him!"

Before they could pull out their guns, Mikoto put bullets through their skulls, their bodies dropping dead. Arashi rode the bike inside the building where more thugs took notice and tried to shoot them. Mikoto took care of a few, while Arashi ran over others. They made a sharp turn on the stairs, moving up to the next floor. The bike leaped up from the last few stairs and landed on a thug's head, killing him.

From behind the corner, a thug tried to hit them with a shotgun but Arashi made a semi-turn, avoiding the shot and allowing Mikoto to shoot him in the heart. They continued upwards, shooting past thugs until they rode to their final set of stairs. By now, the whole building had heard the shots and so at the fifth floor, an army of thugs were waiting. They waited with a mixture of anticipation and dread as the revving of the bike got closer and louder. The minute they saw headlight did they fire their guns rapidly, not waiting to know whether or not Arashi and Mikoto were on it. The bike itself wheeled past the group but with no one on it.

"What the fuck? It's just the bike?!"

"Yoo hoo!" The group turned around to see a pink haired girl wearing a hockey mask standing in the hall. She was casually spinning a grenade ring on her finger yet without the grenade. They didn't have the chance to glance down as the grenade beneath their feet exploded, killing them all and sending their blood and body parts all over the walls. From downstairs, Arashi and Mikoto walked up.

"Ah, that felt soooo good!" Oriha exclaimed.

"Stay alert." Arashi warned. "We're not done yet."

The team pulled out their weapons and walked in front of the door that held their target. Arashi nodded to Mikoto and Oriha, the two taking their positions against the wall by the door. Arashi kicked the door down and aimed the gun in the room. Their target was sitting a chair away from the door. Arashi kept the gun trained on him, with Mikoto and Oriha keeping themselves alert for any surprise attack. Arashi circled the chair until he came face to face with Takazaki or what was left of him.

"What's wrong, Arashi?"

Mikoto and Oriha came around and what they saw made them gasp. Takazaki was dead, overdosed on the same drugs he himself sold.

"Oh, fuck... did he overdose 'cause he knew we were coming for him?"

"Probably." Oriha replied grimly.

"In any case, our target is dead. We'll exit with the bike and then-"

Arashi was interrupted by the sounds of sirens. Walking over to the window, Arashi clicked his teeth upon seeing police surrounding the building outside.

"Shit, is that the cops?"

"Yeah." Arashi replied.

"How did they know there was an incident?"

"I don't know. But right now, all that's clear is we have to escape."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Oriha frantically asked.

"I've got an idea."

Downstairs, the police began ascending the stairway with their guns at the ready. As they passed all the dropped bodies, the police couldn't help but take in all the carnage.

"Damn, these guys got done in. Was it a rival gang or something?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was the Batman?"

"Don't be stupid! The Batman doesn't kill people. He's like us."

"I don't know about that. I heard he's not even human. Nothing can hurt him – bullets, fire, nothing. He can move faster than a bullet and can disappear when you're not looking. Nasaki said he saw the Batman rip into the roof of some guy's car like it was paper, pull the guy out and then fly away. That doesn't sound human to me."

"So, guys, if it wasn't the Batman, do you think it's that terrorist organization we've been hearing so much about? The Iron Mask gang?"

"Maybe." The trio of policemen were interrupted by a smoke bomb that was shot down. Their visibility now zero, they were unable to stop the motorcycle that sped past them. The bike sped downstairs until Mikoto skid to a stop outside where police cars were stationed. Upon seeing her ride out, the police aimed their guns at her.

"Freeze!"

"Sorry, no can do, coppers!" She revved up the bike and sped off, with the police outside jumping into their cars and racing after her in pursuit. The policemen inside came out too and gave chase.

Inside the building, Arashi and Oriha began making their way downstairs. _"Good,"_ Arashi thought. _"With Mikoto leading the police away, me and Oriha can get away unseen. Mikoto will lead them into a district where Ran can remotely cut off the power and then Mikoto will make her escape as well."_

"Will Miko-tan be all right?"

"She'll be fine. We don't need to worry about her. For now, let's just get out of here."

"Right!"

The two made their way back to the hill overlooking the apartment. Crouching to the streets, Arashi turned to Oriha and nodded. "Do it."

"Wooh!" She pulled out a detonator and it lit up the entire building, sending the whole structure toppling down. From afar, from a safe distance, Yuu sighed in relief.

"Whew... Got out of there just in time." She pulled her camera and surfed through pictures that were taken of the three. "This should be enough... Now, time to go work!"

* * *

Batman and the purple haired woman dodged the wild and feral attacks of the enlarged children. Batman narrowed his eyes in thought as he analyzed the situation. _**"The fact that not only the scientists left but also the guards means that they're not expecting these... abominations to kill us. They're planning to destroy everything, intending to use their experiments for something useful before they die. If I'm going to cure future victims, I need to extract a sample of their blood."**_

Batman rolled out of the way of a tackle, but wasn't able to properly protect himself from a punch from another enhanced child. The punch sent him flying into the wall, the impact strong enough to create a dent. The purple haired kept her distance, merely avoiding their strikes. Batman recover fairly quick and hastened to grab some batarangs and gas pellets from his belt. Batman tossed the pellets first, the anesthetic gas knocking a few of them out. He then used his batarangs and threw several of them into the backs of the their necks, knocking three more out. Six remained now and their rationality were completely gone.

The purple haired woman reloaded her gun and aimed it at the enhanced children when a batarang knocked it out of her hand.

" **No! Don't kill them!"**

"They're going to die, anyway!" She retorted. An explosion from behind reminded the pair how the place was about to blow.

" _ **I need that sample before I escape."**_ Batman ran forward at an enhanced child that charged him. The child tried to grab Batman, but he slid under his legs while simultaneously planting a syringe in his leg. The child didn't even feel it and continued to attack Batman while his blood was extracted. The purple haired woman simply avoided the strikes, trying to wait them out until they dropped dead. She didn't see in time, however, a backfist that was speeding her way from behind. Batman did, but he was too late to warn her as she was knocked forward to a wall. Batman jumped and grabbed her body, allowing his back to take the impact of the wall instead.

" **Are you all right?!"** No response. Batman gritted his teeth as he held the girl in his arms. He felt her pulse to reveal her heartbeat. He had no time to sigh in relief as the remaining enemies began to corner and surround him. Just before they could raise their hand to attack them did a sword penetrate through the heart of one while a hand impaled the chest of another. The enhanced children fell and standing behind them were Yuko and Sayo, clad in their costumes and gear.

" _ **Great..."**_

Sayo attacked another enemy while Yuko raised her sword to slice Batman's head off. He moved his body to the side, before shooting his grappling launcher to the wall near the elevator. The launcher pulled his body forward, allowing him to slide until he was at his means of escape. While he slid, he had managed to grab the syringe from the enhanced child's leg. The two women apparently came from above, as the elevator door at the top was open and the machine blocking door was cut in half.

"Hitsugi, he's escaping through the elevator. Go after him while I clean up here."

Hitsugi knocked one on its back before coming down from the air and putting her fist through its skull. "Aye aye." Batman grappled through the hole of the elevator and made his escape, glancing down to see Hitsugi climbing the wall after him. Her fingers were like claws as they pierced elevator shaft and allowed her to give chase.

Yuko cut the head off of one as a count down began to be announced. She glanced at the escape door the scientists went through and ran to it, cutting it in half. She sprinted downstairs, sheathing her sword as the laboratory exploded, sending fire speeding up the elevator shaft. Batman and Hitsugi had already escaped the blast and were sprinting through the rooms. On his shoulder was the purple haired woman and behind him was Sayo, who was chasing him down the hall. The entire facility was counting down to self-destruction and the faculty members were rushing to salvation. Batman made it outside with Sayo hot on his tail. He grappled away with Sayo trying to jump to catch his leg but her finger only managed to tap his boot. Landing on the ground, Sayo contacted Miki.

"Miki, he's getting away."

 _'I see him.'_ The sniper aimed her gun at Batman and fired the bullet, the speedy projectile hitting him in the shoulder and making him lose the grip on his launcher. His cape allowed him to slow down enough to land in an alleyway without harm.

" _Damn!"_ Miki thought. _"I lost him..."_

Batman got on his bike, strapping the woman in the back with his belt. Revving the motorcycle, he rode away as the facility exploded, leaving a huge plume of black smoke in the air. Miki turned back to the exploded building and pressed her fingers to her ear.

"Yuko. Yuko! Can you read me?! Yuko!" She shouted with a hint of urgent panic in her voice.

 _'Don't worry, Senpai.'_ Sayo's voice came over the comm-link. _'She's fine.'_ She said with assurity.

"I hope you're right..."

* * *

On the road, Batman contacted Oracle.

" **Oracle, do you read me?"**

 _'Ryu! Thank God. I lost eyes on you down there and then the countdown...'_

" **I managed to get out and with a little company as well. I have the arsonist."**

 _'Are you bringing her here?'_

" **Negative. I'm taking here to another facility I set up for an occasion such as this."**

 _'On the camera feeds, I saw those women from Black Label coming your way. Did you guys fight?'_

" **We did."**

 _'Are you alright?!'_

Batman glanced at his shoulder. **"I'm fine. I just got bit by a mosquito."**

 _'Mosquito...?'_

" **I'll update you further when I'm at the facility. Stand by."**

* * *

Yuko made it far enough to the underground passageway that she avoided the blast. She had tried and failed to contact her team several times. She was running down a corridor now, an exit just ahead of her. When she came through, lights flashed in her eyes, blinding her. She was unable to see but she could feel the presence of at least two dozen people. She heard guns clicking and she assumed they were aimed at her.

"What's this?" A man came forward. "I expected the Batman..."

As Yuko's eyes slowly adjusted, she saw the owner of the facility – Yamamoto himself. "You...!"

"Hmm? It seems like you've heard of me? The news... or perhaps, you're in allegiance with that pesky Bat? This might be a prime opportunity to draw him out and kill him. A businessman always sees that opportunities wherever they reveal themselves. Commander! Tranq her."

"Yes sir." A dart was shot into Yuko's jugular and she stumbled, before falling to the ground unconscious.


	10. Chapter 10: Prisoner

From atop a building overlooking Tobioka City, four figures stood. There was a man dressed in a wolf mask, a blue haired girl sitting on the shoulder of another man, who stood in a white suit and dressed in a red mask, and a woman who stood near the wolf-man.

"It seems like he's got the girl." The wolf-man commented, watching Batman ride off from above.

"It looks like it." The girl replied. "I wonder if she'll be okay in his hands."

"She's quite resilient. She'll be fine." The wolf-man put away the binoculars in his coat. "There's much work to be done. Shall we go, Your Highness?"

"Let's." The girl replied.

* * *

"...And so they sicked innocent enhanced children on you?"

"Yeah. They killed one during an experiment right in front of my eyes. I saw the child kill a scientist and the others shrugged it off, like it was nothing."

Konomi was currently stitching up Bruce's wound, after having taking the bullet out. She was wearing her pink tank top and light blue short shorts. "This city is so f-ed up. So, did you at least get what you went there for?"

"I did." Bruce winced as she stitched.

"Sorry. I'm not too good at this. I've only done it once."

"It's alright. You're doing fine." After she cut the string, she began applying the bandage, wrapping it around his shoulder. "I've got enough evidence from the facilities to pin it on Yamamoto. I've even taken a blood sample that I can analyze and try to conjure up a cure."

"What about that girl you captured?"

"I want you to monitor her. I placed her in my secondary operation center, in the sewer. Its smaller but it's a home away from home that we can use to keep an eye on her." Bruce stood up and walked over the computer, inputting a code. "With this code, you'll be able to watch her and let me know if she tries to escape. I'm close to her from where I work so I can intercept her if she tries." He stared at the screen blankly and hollow for a moment, something Konomi noticed.

"What's wrong?" She asked, concerned.

"...It's my fault." He uttered.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"I told her not kill them, not to defend herself and what resulted was her nearly dying. They were going to die anyway but I wanted to hold on to the hope that maybe I could do something, anything to help them. In the end, I was only able to escape with her and leave them all to die in that explosion. Innocent children, kidnapped from their families for sick experiments and then left to die... Turned into monsters that tried to kill me and her..."

"Ryu..." She grabbed his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. "What you told her to do wasn't wrong. What you wanted wasn't wrong, either. You may be a stubborn mule, but your heart is purer than gold. How you look into the depths of despair and darkness and still see the light at the end of the tunnel amazes me without end. You'll put an end to it. You'll give them justice. I believe that, Ryu." Konomi softly placed her ear on his chest. His heart, proof of his bright humanity, beat in its unbreakable rhythm. "I believe in your symbol but more importantly, I believe in the heart that drives the symbol. You weren't wrong."

Bruce smiled down at her, wrapping his arms around her frame and embracing her. "...Thank you."

He sat down in the chair, with Konomi on his lap and her head on his chest.

* * *

Yuko woke up groggily, her mind still fuzzy on what happened before she passed out. Sensation replaced her numbness and she immediately felt that she was chained to a cold chair. It was dark but she knew people were around her. She couldn't say a word as her mouth was gagged with some type of cloth. Suddenly, lights were shined above her, allowing her to see the table of torture weapons beside her. She remained calm, analyzing the situation.

"Please, you must excuse the bonds." The voice of the man who ordered her tranquilized came into the light. "But careful measures must be taken."

Her only response was a defiant glare.

"I see you have heart and heart is good. But heart always gives way... to pain." Yamamoto back-slapped her in the face, the rings on his fingers adding to the effect. "We'd rather avoid hurting you if necessary, you see. Now, I assume you work for or with the infamous Batman. That, or you're with that group, the Iron Mask gang. Regardless, you seek to destroy me, otherwise you wouldn't have contributed to the destruction of my costly experiments. So, who do you affiliate with?" He reached down and pulled the gag from her mouth and without hesitation, she spit in his face. Angered, he slapped her again, but despite the pain, she had a confident smirk on her face. "Damn witch. You leave us no choice then. Marco!"

A bald man in a surgeon's outfit came and took one of the torture instruments from the table. He had burn marks all over his head, a nail in his right earlobe and the right side of his cheek was stitched up. His right eye was yellow and his left was green.

"Convince this young lady to cooperate with us. Make her scream."

"As you wish, my lord." He eerily replied.

Yuko maintained her rebellious, fearless look even as the man glowered over her. "Do you worst." She dared him.

"Gladly." He smiled sadistically.

* * *

"Did Yuu execute the plans I laid out for her?"

"Yes. She contacted the number you gave her and I told her to wait for further instructions."

"Alright. I think she's proven herself. I can trust her."

"I'm surprised you even set up those plans in the first place. I thought you were against putting her life in danger?"

"I was, but she convinced me otherwise."

 _As Bruce and Yuu walked back home from their nap, he began laying out the conditions of their partnership._

" _You'll be monitoring them at school, trying to discern anything about them that could be useful. Ideals, history, anything. That will be the extent of your involvement. I don't want to put your life in danger-"_

" _No!" She exclaimed, suddenly in front of him. "I don't want to simply be a bystander. I can do more than that."_

" _I don't like the idea of putting you in harm's way."_

" _I want to devote myself to this cause, even if I am put in danger. Let me prove myself! You can test me and I'll show you I'm worthy enough to stand by your side."_

 _For a long time, Bruce's ocean blue eyes stared into her forest green. His long, nearly obsessive stare made her cheeks crimson but she never blinked nor averted her gaze. The leaves rustled, falling down over them. They never reached the ground as the light wind blew them away on a journey beyond. Bruce sighed to himself, his breath going away with the wind and so, too, his reluctance._

" _Alright." He finally said. "Alright, Yuu-chan. I won't directly put you in harms way but you can be more involved if you prove yourself with this first mission."_

" _Of course!" She hugged him tightly, pressing her face in his chest. He smiled down at her, his mind wandering back to her determined eyes, the same look Konomi gave him that night._

"They both looked beautiful with those eyes..." _He off-handedly thought, not quite realizing why that thought even crossed his mind in the first place._

Bruce had Yuu waiting on a bank near the river. Yachts and sailboats were ruling the waters, with corrupt, privileged men and women onboard, no doubt. Bruce walk up down the grassy banks where Yuu sat, looking out at the water. The sun was rising, its yellow hue adding to the ocean's serenity.

Bruce sat beside his new partner, said partner smiling upon noticing his presence. "I've done as you said."

"Exactly as I said? Word-for-word?"

"Word-for-word. No mistakes. They did exactly as you said they would, no exception."

" _Alright, Yuu. If you want to help me, you'll need to obtain hard evidence of Black Label at a crime scene."_

" _How am I to do that?"_

" _A cocaine dealer, Takazaki, has been gaining in notoriety ever since he's obtained several neighborhoods for business and claimed them his turf. If I'm judging their pattern of killing correctly, the organization goes after criminals when they're either notable enough or affiliated with those who are notable enough. Assuming this, he would be a prime target as he is quickly rising in rank. His base lies in the South District of Tobioka City, in an abandoned slum building. He'll be on the fifth floor and guards will be sprawling the place. Infiltrating the base with their type of methods would probably lead them to direct a frontal assault. You'll go in after that and_ only _after that. Call the police before going in. They will arrive by the time you and Black Label are finished. Most, if not all, of the criminals will be dead. On the east side, there will be an emergency escape stairway and you can enter through here. Climb to the second floor, where by that time, Black Label will quickly be mowing down enemies. Take a few flashless pictures of them through the glassed window in the door and continue on. On the third floor, there will be a vent. Climb into it and proceed upwards. It will be a tight squeeze, but you'll be able to do it. Continue until you're at the fifth floor. Crawl until you see them take out the remaining guards on this floor. Snap more pictures. There should be a vent passage that allows you to spy on the room of Takazaki as well. He will die and there's nothing you'll be able to do to prevent that. Record them in action for five seconds and then leave. Rush down the way you came as fast as you can, the police sirens should buy you some time. The team will be forced to send one of their own to distract them while the others get out. The police won't send anyone inside after they do this. You can get out unseen and then proceed to make as much distance between you and that building as you can. It will explode, burning all evidence, except what you procured. Follow these instructions word-for-word."_

" _How-how do you know all of that? About what they would do and about the layout of the building?"_

" _I make it my business to know." He handed her a phone. "Take this. It's a burner phone. I'll give you a number to call. At some point in the day, Mikami will get called for his duties. You will monitor and follow him from afar, notifying me by phone call when he leaves. Afterwards, you will execute the plan after confirming he is going after Takazaki and when you've completed the mission, you are to immediately call this number again. Understood?"_

 _Yuu looked him solemnly. "Understood, sir."_

* * *

"Here," She handed him the photos she had developed. "I can't believe it though... my own classmates killing all those people... even if they're criminals, it's just so... and they have the pop star, Oriha Nashida too? This city... is evil."

"It won't be forever." Bruce replied, looking through the photos. "You, Konomi, and I will fix this city with our own two hands."

She smiled at him, nodding firmly. "Right."

He stood up, holding his out to her. "Come. I think it's time to show you something."

* * *

"I see... Yuko hasn't reported back. This is bad news, indeed..."

Miki and Sayo stood in the meeting room, where Mochizuki stood behind the desk with Ran by his side. His fingers were interlocked and his eyes were grave.

"I think she's been captured. She was most likely able to escape the blast by accessing the blast door on the other side of the room." Sayo explained.

"Most likely." Mochizuki agreed. "Yuko is far too strong to die. It would be more likely that she is being kept somewhere. However, all clues that could have led to her being found have been destroyed and the facility collapsed, leaving us unable to go after her."

Miki crossed her arms in a thoughtful manner. "We can't attack Yamamoto directly... if he finds out we're looking for Yuko, he may have her killed."

"Agreed." Ran replied. "We'll need all operatives on this case. We'll start by interrogating the most well known information brokers. We'll find more of his hidden bases throughout the city, rescue Yuko and shut him down."

"Right." Miki and Sayo replied in union.

Miki walked out of the meeting room with her head down, memories of the days with her friend flashing through her mind. _"Damn it, Yuko... I'll never forgive you if you die on me... so please... please... be okay! Alive and okay!"_

* * *

Bruce and Yuu arrived at the old shipment yard. It had been abandoned for several years, with crates all over the place, growing rust.

"The shipment yard? What are we doing here?" Yuu asked.

"You'll see in a second." He walked inside a crate and slid open a panel in the wall, revealing a number pad. Bruce punched in the code and soon walls erected themselves in the openings of the crate to block them from view and the floor beneath them began to descend.

"Woah!" Yuu stumbled slightly. "Where... what is this place?!"

"The Batcave."

Bruce stepped off the lift and allowed Yuu to take in the room herself. It was extremely spacious, with white lights overhead. The entire room was white in fact and at the very end of the room was a giant computer. Near the wall was a case that held within it the Batsuit itself. The underground facility also had another door that lead to other rooms.

"Is this... are you...?"

"I decided that if you hold the same resolve as Konomi and I, then you're trustworthy enough to hold my secret. I'll take a leap of faith, just as I did by sending you on that mission."

"Oh, my God..." She let out, still reeling from the shock of the reveal. "You... really are... amazing..." Tears began building in the corners of her eyes. "Can I... ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Can you do it? Can you save our city from its corruption?"

"I can." Bruce responded without hesitation, without pause. "I will." He affirmed.

Yuu smiled brightly as Konomi came in, a towel wrapped around her body and head and a candy bar in her mouth. "Huh?"

Yuu stepped up to Konomi, holding her hand out. "I guess we'll be working together from now on!"

"Uh... okay?" She shook her hand.

Bruce chuckled at her dumbfounded look, the fact that she wasn't at all expecting people to be down here amused him far more than he'd care to admit. He walked over to the computer and sat down, bringing up an article of the TCPD (Tobioka City Police Department). "This comes next." He laid the photos out on the counter top. "We'll take down the corruption of the police and Yamamoto. Then, I'll finally use justice to put an end to Black Label."

"Is that why you had me take those pictures?" Yuu asked, Konomi and her standing on either side of Bruce.

"No. I have another idea. I'm going to pay a visit to the doctor and discuss a few things." He stood up from the chair, fixing his tie. "When I return, we'll start your training immediately, Yuu-chan. I'll personally pay for your finances so you'll never have to work again. This will allow you more time for school, your brothers and work here. When you go out in the field, I want you to have training to back you up if things go awry. Your codename will be Hunter. Welcome to the team."

"Thanks!" She blushed. "I'm gonna do my best!"

* * *

Mochizuki was currently on the roof of his hospital, overlooking the world below. His mind was focused heavily on finding his apprentice but despite him, he had no way of finding her. No leads, no witnesses. He sighed, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. He often wondered if the path he walked was a mistake. He had come this far, retained an illness for it and no matter what, he would keep walking until his vision was realized. His vision of a world that he forged with his own efforts, his own ideals. The effort made true by followers he himself had crafted and he would be absolutely damned if he didn't see his dream come to fruition because of the Batman.

"We need to talk."

Speak of the devil.

Mochizuki, without even checking, already knew who stood behind him. "What are you doing here... Ryu Komori?"

Bruce walked up beside the man in the wheelchair, looking down at the world as well. The corrupted, dirty, polluted world. "I've procured these." He tossed the pictures of Ampule One onto his lap. "I've now got hard evidence that your team was murdering criminals. The tracks you worked so hard to cover have been exposed. I have the ability to blow the whistle on you anytime."

"And? Why haven't you?"

"The police are too corrupted. They would easily overturn a decision of the law for money. I can't put this organization in jail if they can get right out with bribery. However, even if I went to the police now, it would be still be a large enough case, where they would have to put pressure on you and shut you down, at least temporarily, for public appeal. Your entire life hangs in my hands. You're going to stop murdering people and stick to expanding your hospital."

"Oh? Are you blackmailing me?"

"No. I'm merely giving you the chance to focus on saving life rather than taking it. To actually be a doctor rather than an instrument of murder."

"I do save life. I save life through Black Label, by excising the tumors that plague this city. By using my skills as a surgeon, I prevent scum from ever rising again, from ever hurting others. And you call me evil for that? You would start war with me for that?"

"I once knew a man. He was a good man but an even greater doctor. He loved humanity, probably more than humanity deserved. He saw the good in people and abhorred the idea of killing and violence. A true pacifist at heart. One day, he was gunned down along with his wife by the very people who he was fighting to save. A bitter irony. That man was ten times the man and twenty times the doctor you'll ever be. And because of those ideals he spouted so passionately, I can say yes... What you do is wrong and I'm willing to start a war with you over that. I'm willing to start a war with a doctor who knows no passion for humanity."

This made Mochizuki frown heavily. "My passion for humanity comes from upholding its good and shunning the bad. Such is the path of a surgeon. You, who allows the disease to run wild while simply attending the symptoms, can never understand that. I won't stop and even with the evidence you have over us, we have something over you. We were told about a red-haired woman by the name of Konomi Suzue. A detective at TCPD and your significant other, correct?"

Bruce glared down at him. "You would go after an innocent just for your own agenda?"

"I'm willing to amputate an arm if it means saving the whole body, yes. I'm not against killing a few to protect the many."

"You're sick." Bruce spat.

"I am. But only in body, not in mind nor in spirit. If you take us down, then we'll take her down. For now, we're at a stalemate. Instead, to alleviate hostilities, what say you we call a truce?"

"Truce?"

"One of our operatives is missing. We believe she's been captured by a man known as Yamamoto but we have no leads and we can't directly interrogate the man because he holds her life in the balance. Work with us and save our operative."

"I don't enjoy working with madmen." Bruce began to walk away.

"The operative is Yuko Sagiri." Bruce stopped short, frozen and immobile. "Whatever happens after the truce, happens. However, for the time being, we'll hold off all conflict."

"...Fine. However, one word of warning before I go... If you ever come after Konomi Suzue, if you ever hurt her or step within 10 feet of her... there will be no place where you can hide from me. No place where you can run, nowhere I won't hunt you down and deliver you fates worse than death. Remember that, _doctor_."

Mochizuki smirked daringly. "Very well."

And like a ghost, Bruce was gone, leaving Mochizuki on the roof alone once more.

* * *

"Woo hoo!" Kyoji licked the neck of a poor girl he had kidnapped, drugged with Platinum Lily and now held in his room of "dolls". "So pretty, so soft and so mindless!" A pleasant shiver went down his spine as he took his shirt off and prepared to unbuckle his belt, whistling happily. His pleasant mood was interrupted by a knock at his door.

"WHAT?!" He yelled angrily.

"Kyoji-sama," A henchman announced from the other side. "Yamamoto-sama requests an audience with you."

"Yamamoto? Well, shit." He pushed the girl to the floor casually, the poor soul unable to feel a thing, unable to perceive the difference between illusion and reality.

Putting on his clothes, Kyoji walked into the grand hall where Yamamoto and two of his bodyguards stood waiting. In the center of the room was a throne and next to it was Goryu, dressed in her dominatrix-like clothing. He strode up the stairs before plopping himself down on his chair, staring down at Yamamoto in a somewhat bored fashion.

"Yamamoto, what do you want?"

"It's been a long time, Kyoji. How have you been?"

"Screw the pleasantries. I don't feel like engaging in conversation with you. Just tell me what you want."

"I have a prisoner whom I believe is associated with the man who is trying to take me down. The vigilante known as the Batman."

This peaked Kyoji's interest a bit. "Really? The Batman, eh? That bastard has been after my Platinum Lily. So? What is it you want from me?"

"She's proven to be quite resilient to our torture and that's why we would like your own interrogator to help us."

"And what do I get for loaning Goryu to you?"

Yamamoto clicked his fingers and a henchmen walked up to Goryu and handed her some pictures, which she handed to Kyoji. "This is the woman. If Goryu can get the information we seek, then you can have her as one of your... dolls."

"HOLY SHIT!" Kyoji's eyes were popping out of its sockets as he stared at the pictures they've taken of Yuko with his tongue out of his mouth and drool trickling his chin. "Goryu!"

"Yes, Kyoji-sama?"

"I want this woman. Go with Yamamoto and do whatever it takes to squeeze that information out of her. Just don't hurt her _too_ badly. I want to rip off her clothing and play with her afterwards myself." He ordered with a disgusting, lecherous smirk.

Goryu nodded stoically. "Understood."

* * *

A.N.: Chapter 10: Done! Hope you guys enjoyed it. If you did, please share it, fav it, follow it and review. Also, to new readers, be sure to list your harem preferences. Til next time, Green out.

( Robo Reader 21: What is your request?)


	11. Chapter 11: Alliance

Long chapter ahead guys so please excuse any grammar mistakes I may have missed. I really wanted to get everything in one chapter so I hope it's not _too_ long. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!

( Robo Reader 21: I'm afraid to say I'm not too comfortable with that. There's a certain image of Batman I'm trying to create and having another writer write him based off of mine kind of ruins that for me. I hope you can respect that, though and we can still maintain a good writer-reader relationship.)

* * *

"Ha, ha, ha...!" He panted as he ran, sprinting through the streets, knocking over bystanders and carts. He ran through the alleys, trying to lose his persistent pursuer. "Piss off, friggin' big-boobed cop!" The man turned a corner while above, his pursuer, known as Konomi Suzue AKA Oracle, chased him. She was on the job, catching a criminal she and her partner had cornered. Using moves of parkour, she jumped from balcony to balcony, jumping from the fire escape and landing with a recovery roll. The man ran through a workshop where people were fixing cars. He pushed people out of his way, with Konomi quickly closing the distance.

" _Breathe! Keep on him. Focus... Jump here! Kong vault! Move!"_ She pressured herself, pushed herself, sprinting as the man began racing down the stairs. Konomi jumped from the railing, kicked off a wall before kicking off another and landing safely. She was now in front of the man, where he was backed in a dead end. He turned around and regarded her with scorn, pulling out a knife.

"Stay back bitch or I'll gut you!"

"Such language." She tsked, holding her ground.

The man charged her but she remained focused, kicking his shin and sweeping him at the same time. As he went down face-forward, she pinned him with her knee and pulled his arm around his back.

"Game over, sucka." She cuffed him as her partner came running down.

At the scene, the officers watched as the police put him in a car and drove him to prison. Tatara lit up a cigarette, blowing it into the wind. "Those were some pretty impressive moves, Suzue. I never thought you to be the athletic sort."

"Well, I'm still no Olympian but I do what I can. Me and my boyfriend have been really active lately."

"Boyfriend?"

"Mm-hm. Maybe I'll introduce you two sometime."

"Huh..." He took another whiff. "Want to get lunch?"

"Sure! Your treat, right?"

* * *

" **Wake up."**

Rousing from her sleep, the purple haired woman's eyes slowly opened and she realized that she was somewhere dark and the Batman was standing over her. She was cuffed to a bed and her mask wasn't on her face.

" **I have some questions I'd like to ask... Who do you work for?"**

She remained silent. Batman put his thumb and index finger near a pressure point on her collarbone. He pressed on it tightly, causing her to squirm and bite her lip to distract herself from the pain.

" **I'll ask again. Who do you work for?"**

She still refused. Batman removed his fingers and glared down at her. She paralyzed upon his fierce stare. He looked as if he would devour her, like a monster in the wild.

" **I didn't want to have do this but you leave me no choice."** Batman raised a bucket of cold water and poured it over body. She shivered but still remained defiant. Batman wasn't done and pulled out a taser, the electricity emitting from the device. He brought the taser near the liquids, the small electricity enough to completely shock the purple haired woman, causing her body to convulse.

"AAAH!" Her body reacted violently to the shock before relaxing again in the bed. She was panting, her breath crackled and hard.

" **That was a light shock. I've run your face through facial recognition software and found out the basic information about you. Nothing explicit, simply birthdate, family, age, height, name. Nothing of your history nor of who you are affiliated with. So, we can stay here all night until you give me answers. And I'll shock you until your heart stops. Then I'll revive you and do it again!"** He turned up the voltage on the taser before bringing the weapon down on her again, the pain much more intense than previously. She trashed and jerked, the cuffs scratching against the metal railings of the bed as her vision became near black and her hair began to stand on ends.

" **Who do you work for?!"**

"I..." She panted. "Will never give him up..."

Batman shocked her again, the girl unable to prevent herself from screaming in pain. She could feel heartbeat slowing and she was very much pain.

" **This last shock will kill you, _Chikage._ Tell me what I need to know or I will end you."  
**

"N-never..."

Batman brought the taser down, her back arching towards the ceiling above. She didn't scream but her pain was most certainly felt until her sight went black and her heart stopped. Batman leaned over her body and ripped opened her jacket, exposing her chest.

He put the taser to her heart and shocked her. By now, the water had evaporated from the intense heat of the electricity. Chikage showed no response. Batman growled, turned up the voltage slightly and performed it again. This time, her eyes flew open and she tried to sit up as she gasp for air. Before she could get accustomed to living, Batman socked her in the face, sending her head back down to the pillow.

" **Wake up, woman. I'm not done with you yet."**

* * *

In a facility somewhere in Tobioka, Yuko was bound to a wall by chains on her wrist and ankles. She had bruises, cuts and burns on various parts of her body. However, she had resisted all forms of torture and was currently catching her breath. Marco was good, a professional at what he did but Yuko prevailed. The room was dark, tight and cramped. She's been dehydrated and hasn't eaten anything since yesterday.

The door opened, allowing light to fill the room. A roach ran away from the door as Yamamoto walked in, clasping his hands. "Hello again." He greeted. "How are we today?"

"Go to hell..." She uttered weakly.

"I'm afraid that's your fate."

He stepped off to the side and allowed another person to walk into the room. Yuko slowly looked up to see a woman, wearing dominatrix-like clothing, standing before her. She wore a black jacket around a dark purple shirt that exposed much of her cleavage. Around her waist was a black skirt that was split at the sides, allowing you to see the purple string of what lay underneath. She wore leg warmers that came up mid-thigh and had a diamond pattern on the side that exposed her skin along with heels on her feet. She wore dark grey gloves, a black belt around her waist, had a mask on covering half of her face and had her hair tied in a kunoichi-style ponytail. Her dull purple eyes stared down at Yuko unsympathetically.

"Is this the woman?" Goryu asked.

"Yes." Yamamoto replied. "We need to find out what, or if, she knows anything relating to the Batman or the Iron Mask gang."

"I see. Such information would be useful to my master as well."

"Quite loyal to your master, are you?"

"Bring her to the torture chambers. I'll take care of it from there." She walked out the door, taking one last glance at Yuko before walking off.

The next thing Yuko knew, a bag was thrown over her head and she was being dragged to another room. She felt herself put on a chair and her arms strapped onto the arms of the chair. The bag was pulled off her face and she realized she was back in the room where Marco had tortured her. She could still see a bit of her old blood on the floor. She glanced up to see Goryu walk into the light.

"Leave us." She commanded. "And take down the cameras."

"What?" Yamamoto asked incredulously.

"My torture methods are a precious commodity and one of the reasons I was employed to this task in the first place. It would be a detriment to me if you were to replicate them."

Yamamoto sighed in dissatisfaction. "Fine. Take them down."

After doing so, he and his men left the room, leaving Goryu and Yuko alone. Goryu reached behind her back and pulled out a whip. "Now..." She began. "How shall I play with you?"

* * *

Konomi, after having had lunch with her partner, was now trailing a suspect. He was seen by witnesses stabbing a woman in the gut.

" _Damned sicko..."_ Konomi angrily thought as she blended in with the crowd, Tatara and her keeping an eye on him as he walked in the streets, looking like your average citizen. His hands in his pocket, he turned a corner and began walking down an alleyway, Konomi and Tatara watching him from the corner. The man looked right and left before entering the back entrance of an underground bar.

At this time, Konomi's mind wandered back to the detective skills she had picked up at this time. She wondered what _he'd_ say. _"He'd probably already know whether or not this guy has done it and would have the evidence to pin him. He'd probably see all the clues and-"_

"Let's go!" Tatara exclaimed, sprinting forward after the suspect.

" _And see the pattern of the suspect's behavior and realize..."_ Her eyes widened slowly. "It's a trap!"

She was too late, as Tatara had rushed down into the bar but as soon as he did, guns were raised at him with at least six guys ready to put bullet-holes in him. Just as the bullets went flying did Konomi dive downstairs and tackle Tatara behind cover.

"Damn, so he was onto us?!"

"No, duh!"

"Come out, little rats! Come out and let us gut ya!"

"We need to call back-up!" Konomi exclaimed.

"HQ, HQ! We need back-up!" Tatara shouted on the radio.

 _'Back up is on the way. ETA in six minutes.'_

"We're gonna be dead in six minutes!" Konomi grabbed her gun and quickly fired back, being forced back down from the rapid gunfire.

The shooters began advancing slowly, the bullets coming at them faster as they did. _"Think, Konomi, think! What can I do? What can I do?!"_

Tatara pulled out his gun and shot at the alcohol behind the bar counter before throwing his lighter over there, igniting a fire that speedily spread and began consuming the counter and the other booze. Distracted by the fire, Tatara and Konomi quickly rose and shot each of them in the shoulder or leg, sending four of them to the floor. With four of them out of the game, Konomi and Tatara moved from around the counter and aimed their guns at the last two, who surrendered and laid down their weapons. Konomi shot the water sprinklers, putting the fire out.

When the back-up came, the police took all six of them away. Konomi felt a sense of pride and satisfaction. She wondered briefly what her boyfriend would think of her accomplishments before being brought out of her thoughts by a pat on the back from her partner.

"Nice work, Suzue. Thanks for having my back."

"Well, we're a team, aren't we?" She smiled, giving him a thumbs up.

He scratched his neck, a small smile on his face. "Yeah... I'll see you tomorrow, kiddo."

"Ciao!"

* * *

Chikage's will had all but broken by now. After reviving her, Batman proceeded to drill her with questions. Questions she could no longer resist answering.

" **Tell me about your partner. Does he work for Syringe?"**

"Syringe...? Who is... that? My partner... was my Sensei. He was a doctor who seeks... to eradicate the world... of evil... and injustice..."

Batman narrowed his eyes at her. **"What is your partner's name?"**

"His name? His name... is... Akii... Hisoshi..."

Batman walked over to his computer and input the name, but no record of that name came up on any database. Batman glanced over his shoulder, staring at her contemplatively. _**"She's not lying. I can tell. Which means... this man lied to her. She doesn't know anything about these people... She's just a pawn being used for others' gains."**_

Batman strode back over to her, standing over her bedside. **"The targets you were ordered to hit... Who are they and why have you gone after them?"**

"There are... the people... who want the new drug... Platinum Lily... I eliminate them... for the sake of... justice..." She was struggling to speak now, her body tired and ready to fall asleep.

" _ **Syringe is trying to get rid of the Platinum Lily clientele..."**_

Chikage passed out, the torture having taken its toll. Batman sighed before turning around and leaving the cell which she lay in. He closed the cell door and locked it, his look lingering on her for a few seconds before he walked away.

* * *

Goryu unrolled her whip and lashed it at Yuko, the leathery weapon causing a gash on her stomach. Blood began to accumulate, staining Yuko's white leather pants to the bright tinge of red.

"Ah, what beautiful blood you have... If you don't want to be drained of it, I suggest you answer the questions that's been asked of you all this time." Goryu walked over to a briefcase she had brought in with her and opened it on the table. Inside were an assortment of torture devices, ranging from drugs to metal switches. Goryu pulled out a small, sharp, nail file. She bent down and slowly stuck the blade underneath Yuko's big toenail. Fluidly, Goryu into her toe, her toenail being painfully uplifted and the flesh bleeding. Yuko kept her mouth shut, refusing to give the torturer the satisfaction of hearing her scream.

Goryu eventually removed the big toe nail and repeated the painful process on the other toe. Goryu rose to her feet once more, holding the bloody toe nails in her hands.

"Who do you affiliate with?" She asked.

"I will tell you nothing..." Yuko hissed.

Without hesitation, Goryu slammed her palm into Yuko's mouth, forcing the female swordsman to swallow the toe nails. Yuko coughed violently, unable to spit them out. Goryu took out her whip and hit Yuko several times on the neck and chest.

"You're pretty tough, I'll give you that. No matter how much pain has been given to your body, you seem to take in such stride. Still, that is irrelevant. Everyone has a breaking point, even the most demented masochists. I'll break you, woman."

Reaching into her case, Goryu pulled out an iron comb. She walked behind her, holding the comb over her hair. She applied the comb to Yuko's scalp, starting from the tip of her head to the back. As she moved, Yuko couldn't help screaming in pain as blood began rushing down her face and neck. Goryu tossed the comb back into the case.

"On the edge of those racks were a certain poison that has been known to cause illusions. These illusions have the effect of making the victim feel panicked and they generally lose all touch with reality. Torture isn't just about physical pain, you see. It's an art, a terrible art, but an art nonetheless. Let us wait and see how your own mind tortures you."

* * *

Back in the Batcave, Yuu's training was being over-seen by Bruce as she hit a punching bag in the training room.

"Harder!" He shouted. "Knock it to the ground!"

"Hah!" Though Yuu was putting her all into it, she was ultimately tired and unable to continue after several minutes of hitting the bag with basic strikes Bruce showed her. Bruce walked over to the bag while she plopped to the floor, exhausted. "I guess I still have a long way to go..."

"You do. However, you have potential. Your proficiency towards stealth is impressive and we can develop that after you can properly defend yourself." Bruce dropped into a stance, holding his hands up. "You have to breathe or your energy will simply burn out faster. Keep a balance in your stance and retain good posture as you throw your strikes. You're not just trying to hit, you're trying to hit in the right manner. You can't just throw your anger forward. You have to control it, utilize it and have it take form... as your fist!" Bruce struck the bag hard, easily imprinting his fist into the bag and sending it rocketing towards the ceiling.

"A-amazing... I almost thought you were going to break it..."

"I would, but you still need it. Keep going until you pass out."

"Huh?!" She shouted incredulously as he walked away.

In the main room, Konomi had arrived at the Bat-computer. Currently, she was looking for a certain person Bruce had requested.

"Konomi," Bruce called as he walked in. "Did you find her?"

"No location but I know she is here in Tobioka. No matter how secretive the Red Vixen is, there is always someone on the World Wide Net who blows secrecy right out of the water. Thanks to Oni89, we know that the information broker you are looking for has been operating in the city for quite some time. I don't where she is though, but the last person she gave information to was a man named Hideo Sotoma. He lives downtown in an apartment by the river."

"Alright." Bruce walked over to his case as Konomi turned to him in the chair.

"Are you sure this is a good idea – joining with Black Label?"

"Someone's life is in danger. I can't simply walk away from that. I'll rescue her and then I'll bring the police corruption to light. Count on that."

"Right." She smiled at him as he leaned in and softly placed his lips on hers. No matter how many times their lips came together in union, she could never get over the tingling feeling in her lips after they parted. Her heart raced, her palms felt sweaty and her legs felt weak.

" _It's official,"_ She silently thought. _"I'm in love with the Batman."_

"Continue to monitor Chikage for me. I've got the information I need so I'm going to drop her at the police station later on. For now, I'll go to the meeting place that I've agreed to and see a few members of Black Label. Anything that takes place involving their operative, they want to know about it."

Bruce threw on his mask before walking towards the motorcycle and driving out in style.

* * *

"I can't fucking believe this bullshit."

Arashi and Mikoto sat on top of a roof, waiting for their "associate" to come. "We have to ally ourselves with the goddamn Batman? Are you serious? And, on terms with some agreement, we have to not kill unless in the most dire of situations? The fuck kinda shit is that?"

"If it is the doctor's decision, so be it."

"I'm surprised you of all people are so okay with this. I mean, the guy completely demolished us last time we fought."

Arashi angrily dug his gloved fingers into his palm. "Yeah..." Arashi turned his over his shoulder. "He's here."

Batman landed on the rooftop, standing up at full height. His cape flowed in the wind, his red eyes piercing their souls. **"I assume the Doctor has told you the terms of the agreement."**

"Yeah, he told us." Mikoto said, obviously irritated.

" **Good. Let's go."**

The three made their way to the targeted building, a modest apartment complex by the river of the city. On the 7th floor, in his apartment room eating pizza was Hideo Sotoma. He was watching Spongebob, laughing at the stupidity of it all.

What he didn't know was the fact that the Batman was standing behind him in the shadows. The TV turned off and when Hideo turned around, he nearly spat out his pizza.

"Woah! Y-you're t-th-the..!"

"Yes, he's the Batman." Mikoto waved off. "We have some questions for you."

"W-who are you?"

" **Temporary allies. I need to ask you some questions about the Red Vixen."**

"The Red Vixen? Oh, alright. I mean, there's not much information to go on. I just needed to know about someone and I found out about her through my friend. I got her number and that was the only way I could contact her."

" **Do you still have the number?"**

"Yeah, right here." He handed him the note. Hideo, now somewhat relaxed, turned back around to get another slice of pizza. "I don't how much you're gonna get from her number, though. You guys hungry? I got some pi-"

When he turned back around, they were gone.

"-zza."

* * *

 _ **'I need you triangulate the receiver of the phone call.'**_

"Got you. Once you call the phone number and get an answer, I can trace the call back to the owner. Easy-peasy."

"Who says that anymore?" Yuu was standing behind Konomi, drinking a bottle of water with a towel around her neck.

"Oh, are you done?"

"Yeah, Ryu-kun told me to keep training until I passed out so after I woke up, the first thing I did was grab some water."

A drop of sweat comically fell down Konomi's brow. "Somehow... I don't think he was being literal..."

Konomi's attention quickly turned back to the computer screen as the phone began to ring. Konomi eagerly waited for someone to pick up, her fingertips ready to fire off and track the location.

 _'Hello?'_ Came a male voice. As soon as the voice was heard, Konomi was off. She was instantly triangulating the location, tracing the phone call back to its source.

"Got it!" Konomi exclaimed. "I'll send you the address now."

"Wow, Konomi-san, you're really good at that!"

"Damn straight! I'm the best there is!"

* * *

The Red Vixen, one of the best information brokers in the world, sat on her leathery purple coach and put a pipe to her mouth. Around her were her associates, the dark room itself being lit as slow, sultry music played in the background. Her associates drank, slept and whispered sweet nothings in each other's ear. Red Vixen sat back and blew out smoke, like a red dragon. The mist from her smoke made the room foggy but fit its general atmosphere. She put a drink to her lips and sipped it as one of her secretaries came in.

He bowed at her feet. "Madame Vixen," He addressed. "We've gotten a phone call."

"Hmm... Who has need of my services?"

"The strange thing was that no one actually spoke."

Vixen narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Odd... no one calls me without a reason and it's impossible to call me without the special phone that can only be received by mine. Which means..." She blew out her smoke once more. "Someone's found us."

"Who?"

"Them." She motioned behind him.

The man rose up and spun around, aiming a gun at Batman's face, who, in an instant, disarmed him and backhanded him in the cheek. Batman stood before the Red Vixen, her associates all aiming guns at him and his own associates, who stood a ways behind him, aiming their own weapons around.

Vixen laid her drink on her small glass table before inhaling her pipe. "So you're the Batman..." She exhaled, the smoke reaching his face. "I expected you to be taller."

The Red Vixen was an attractive women. She had brown hair, which was tied in a bun, under a large red hat with a black rose on it. She wore shaded sunglasses and a blood red coat that had only its two middle buttons buttoned. On her person was a black shirt that exposed her huge bust and and black skirt and on her feet were red heels. She wore black gloves on her hands and red lipstick on her lips.

"So, what can I do for you?"

" **I have need of your services."**

"Oh? My services don't come cheap, my tall, dark and handsome friend."

" **I need you to locate all the facilities of Yamamoto."**

"The business tyrant? The same business tyrant who was rumored to throwing a guy off the top of a building and then, three days later, throwing the guy's family off that same building? How daring. I heard you played with fire but not to this extent. Finding their bases will not be hard but the price is quite costly."

" **Name it."**

"I want those two," She pointed behind him at Arashi and Mikoto, "dead and forgotten."

Without thinking twice, Batman said, **"Forget it."**

"They've committed a great injustice against me. My brother used to be a criminal and worked under a renowned crime lord. These insane bastards and their loose tactics murdered him without a thought to get to their target. The sad thing was that he wasn't even a criminal by choice. Just never graduated high school and needed the cash. I could never help but I sure as hell can avenge him."

" **I'm sorry for your loss but I can't, _won't_ , let you do that."**

"You would defend murderers?"

" **No... I defend human beings."**

"Hmph. And here I thought you were interesting. Paulo! We're leaving. The rest of you... kill 'em."

The Red Vixen stood up and walked away, her bodyguard escorting her out the front entrance while the three vigilantes were forced to take cover.

"Well, that broke down fast." Mikoto and Arashi pulled out their guns.

" **No guns!"** Batman ordered.

"What? How the fuck are we supposed to defeat them then?!"

" **We're not."** Batman reached into his pouch and threw several pellets at his assailants. The gas flew out from it and made their eyes watery and the visibility turned to zero. **"We're going after her. Let's move!"**

Arashi and Batman kicked down the doors, catching a glimpse of Red Vixen driving off in her car. Mikoto came out, dodging bullets with a front roll.

"They're still chasing us!"

" **Get to your motorcycles!"**

Arashi grabbed Mikoto's arm and ran to their motorcycle while Batman jumped over the hood of a car and landed on the other side as the bullets were firing off.

" _ **These idiots are going to get some civilians killed..."**_ Batman pulled out several batarangs and with pristine accuracy, threw them into the barrels of their guns, lodging them and causing them to jam.

Having no time or equipment to waste on them, Batman took off in a speedy run, jumping on his bike and riding off after Vixen and Black Label. He wasn't far behind, eventually catching up to Arashi and Mikoto, who rode on the same bike.

" **Give the signal, now!"**

"Tsurugi-sensei, do it!"

From atop a building overlooking the road, Miki aimed her sniper rifle at the tire of the car. She shot the tire and the car swerved into an alleyway before stopping abruptly. Before Vixen's bodyguard, Paulo, could do anything, the front door was ripped out by a woman in a nurse's outfit wearing a demon mask.

"Sorry to interrupt your evening, but that's as far as you go tonight."

Red Vixen sighed, blowing her smoke out in defeat.

* * *

Yuko ran forward through a hall, demonic monsters flying out at her and trying to rip into her flesh. She struck at them with her sword, killing them but not before one managed to scratch her shoulder. She had been running through this hall for what felt like days. The light at the end so close but yet so far, her feet unable to reach it no matter how much she pushed herself. Tentacles wrapped around her waist and pulled her back into the darkness. She floated now in an empty abyss, dark laughter echoing around her.

"How shameful you are, Yuko..."

"Father...?"

"Pathetic. All those years of training and for what? You're not worthy of being called my daughter. Stay here and die like a dog."

"Father, wait, please!"

A sword materialized out of nowhere and stuck itself into her leg. Another into her arm, another into her gut and so on. Soon, swords completely impaled her in every way possible, her pale body floating in the air.

Yuko was harshly brought back to reality by a stun baton being jabbed into her gut.

"Awake again? That's the seventh time you've disappeared into another world. What did you see this time?"

"Shut... up..."

"Oh, am I getting to you now? All of this can stop, you know. Just answer my questions and this will end."

"Never..."

"Very well, then." Goryu picked up a steaming hot, branding stick and imprinted it on Yuko's side. She winced but refused to scream or squirm, simply taking the pain like a warrior. "Who are you affiliated with? Why were you in the underground base? Talk!"

Goryu sighed, throwing the brand item to the floor. "Fine. I never use this except as a last result. I dislike its effects and quite frankly, the user becomes pretty violent when it's administered but..." She took out a syringe of a clear liquid. "I'm running out of options. This won't hurt. You'll simply forget things like pain, like pleasure. You're enter an oblivion where such things won't matter. And, when your self has burned in the fires of nothingness, I'll extract the truth from you."

"Do what you will... I will _never_ talk... For the sake of my comrades, on name and honor of my father, I'd sooner die before saying one word..."

Upon hearing this, Goryu paused, looking down at her carefully and almost frailly. "You would... die for something like that...?"

"Of course I would..." She breathed out. It was painful to speak now and she had a splitting headache as her vision was dizzy. Her throat was burning and her body severely ached.

Goryu put the syringe back in her case, glaring at Yuko. "Ridiculous." She scoffed. "There's no longer any such thing as honor, not in this city nor in this world. There is only doing what you must to survive and protect those you love..." She walked to the corner where Yuko's katana was leaning up against the wall. She unsheathed it before walking over to Yuko, holding the blade near her neck. "Know no honor, seek no bounds. Understand the fragility of life and embrace its perils. Run not from death and its cold hand, for we shall all know warmth beyond." She raised the sword and brought it down.

* * *

On a rooftop of a small building, Vixen and Batman stood. She had agreed to surrender and do as they asked but would only agree to discuss her terms and such with Batman and Batman alone, requesting Black Label to stay in the alleyway with her bodyguard who, if he was to admit it, very nervous being alone with those people.

"So," She inhaled her pipe. "You want to meet to find out the any facilities Yamamoto had built off-records? Sounds easy enough. I have contacts watching him and so they'll know about it. However, I still require a cost."

" **I won't exchange their lives for information."**

"No, that's fine. I can always try to kill them some other time. If I am to do this for you, Batman, then what I want... is to for you to let me hang out with you until this all over. You and them don't seem to get along and I would be quite interested in seeing how it turns out. Allow me to watch from afar for my own entertainment and I'll do this for you.

Batman glanced down at Black Label, specifically Arashi, and contemplated the choice. He saw Arashi glance up at him, specifically him, and they shared an odd, symbiotic stare before Batman turned his attention back to Vixen.

" **Alright."** He agreed. He walked up to her until he was close enough to whisper into her ear. **"There's something else I need you to do for me..."**

"Hmm?"

" **I need you to find any information you can on several people – Yuko Sagiri, Sayo Hitsugi, Miki Tsurugi, Oriha Nashida, Mikoto Kiba and... Arashi Mikami."**

"Hmm... alright. But it will cost you extra."

" **What do you want?"  
**

She looked over her shoulder before turning with a sultry smile, putting her hand to his cheek, bringing her leg around his hip and slowly closing the distance between her lips and his, their faces mere centimeters from each other. "What I want... is to see... _your... face..."_ She stepped back and crossed her arms, a pleasant smile on her face.

Batman nodded slowly. Her smile transformed into a toothy grin upon hearing so. **"Can you do it?"**

"Well, it should be fairly simple, especially with the last one because you see..." She removed her glasses, her hazel eyes looking up at him. "I'm his teacher."

She walked past him, handing him a phone. "Use this if you need to contact me. This is the only phone that will allow to contact my communication lines. I'll contact you when I find your locations. Good luck."

* * *

"Why?"

On the floors were the chains that strapped Yuko to the chair. Goryu stood before her, the sword in her hand but no threatening motions were made to Yuko. Goryu looked resigned.

"Why are you helping me?" Yuko asked.

"For the sake of withholding a shred of honor instilled to me by someone long ago..." She held the sword up and impaled her leg with it, not even flinching as she did so. "You escaped from your bonds when I wasn't looking. We had a confrontation," She knocked over the table. "And you won. You grabbed your sword and stabbed me in the leg, before running off without giving any information." She pulled the sword out and handed it to Yuko, stumbling to the corner and leaning against it.

"...Thank you."

"Just get the hell out of here. Before I change my mind..."

Yuko smiled before running over to the door and cutting it down, allowing her escape. Out in the halls now, she ran off to escape, leaving Goryu in the room alone.

" _I hope you can still feel a semblance of pride for me... father..."_

* * *

In the Batcave, Bruce sat on his computer, going over all the construction sites Yamamoto secretly made. It wasn't long ago after meeting Red Vixen, also known as Nao Sakurada by her classmates, that she called him with several locations. He had made three facilities, two above ground and were small, usually for research and such things but another facility, built underground, was huge and had a network of entrances. She had no idea what they did down there but Bruce had a sneaking suspicion that's where Yuko was. Bruce stood up and put on his cowl before running over to his bike to ride off and inform Black Label.

* * *

Yuko had no idea where she was going. Currently, she only knew two things: One, she was in some facility where they performed experiments that tries to create superhuman people and animals and two, she was so in pain that it was becoming increasingly difficult to focus on anything. Her mind continued playing tricks on her, an after effect on the drugs so brutally injected into her bloodstream via scalp. Her breathing was haggard and her stomach was in turmoil, the urge to throw up getting stronger every minute.

" _I probably look better than I feel..."_ She grimly surmised.

She waited behind the wall, peering out of its corner to wait for some guards to continue down the hall. Yuko kept running, pushing her mind away from the pain in her legs, the pain her chest, the pain everywhere on her body. Coming onto an intersection, Yuko went down the south path, using her gut instinct which had both kept her alive and gotten her into trouble. She eventually came upon a guard who was walking away from her. Stealthily, she put the blade to his neck.

"Don't move or you're dead." She whispered threateningly.

"W-who are you?"

"The Grim Reaper with a sword. Now, if you don't want your to head to roll, tell me which way is out of the facility."

"It continues down this way and you can get out by the exit once you turn left and make a right."

"Appreciate it." She hit him with the hilt of her sword, knocking him out with a blow from the back of the head. She continued on, taking directions of where the guard pointed her. She eventually came upon a big double door made of steel and prepared to cut it when she heard clapping behind her. She spun around to see Yamamoto himself walking up to her, two guards at his side aiming guns at her.

"Impressive, woman. You've managed to escape the torture and found your way through our maze-like facility. Truly impressive. However, I have eyes everywhere, hidden in the walls. Unfortunately for you, this is where you die. Interrogating you is more trouble than its worth and to outweigh detriment with benefit is my job, you see. Kill her."

The guards began shooting at her and with nearly superhuman speed, Yuko blocked the bullets using her sword, a few still whizzing past her. Yuko jumped off to the side, recovering with a roll and began running down the hall away from them and the door. The guards chased after her, shooting bullets down the hall. Some stray ones nicked Yuko in the cheek. She continued running, turning the hall as an announcement was sounded through the halls.

 _'All personnel, the prisoner has escaped near the South Block. Orders are to shoot on-sight. This is not a drill. I repeat...'_

Yuko clicked her teeth, her ears ringing painfully as the hall twisted and turned, her sense of reality and perception playing against her. She couldn't afford to stumble and she certainly couldn't afford to stop. She was also in no condition to be taking on a myriad of enemies. Her only options were to hide and get out unseen.

"There she is!"

If it was at all possible.

More guards began to flock her, chased her through the endless maze that was this facility. Bullets flew down the hall, guards continued to pop out of nowhere and the unending amount of running she has done was wearing on her injuries ever so slowly.

She stumbled and tripped, her mind twisting the image of the hall into a demonic one. Ghouls flew at her and she was unable to stop them. Just as she thought she was about to get ravaged, a ghoul with bat wings came down the hall. He shot out mini-bats from his arm, taking out those pursuing her before kneeling down and helping her up. Her mind slowly fazed between that world and the real, the two becoming more distinguishable by the second. Eventually, she was able to see Batman and her teammates standing over her, here to help her.

Several guards came rushing down the hallway but Batman and Miki took care of them, knocking them out with batarangs and tranquilizer darts. Miki bent down and cupped her friend's face in her hands. She had tears of happiness building in her eyes and her smile was riddled with joy.

"Yuko! Are you alright? Yuko!"

"M-Miki? Hitsugi...? Where...?"

" **We can address that later. We have to get out of here. More are coming."** Batman lifted Yuko up in her arms, refusing to let his sight linger on her torture wounds. They began running back the way they came, moving as fast as they could as time was of the essence.

Elsewhere in the facility, Oriha snuck through the halls, stealthily avoiding anyone rushing about and looking for Yuko. She walked into the security/surveillance room, where a guard was sleeping on the job. Oriha silently giggled before walking over to a computer that required a code. This computer held access to the blast doors that came down and trapped people between them when they crossed between the sensors that would activated once the code was inputted. Once they were trapped between the two blast doors, they would be gassed. Oriha had earlier connected Ran to the network via hacking device and so now, she had the codes necessary to complete her private mission, personally assigned to her by Mochizuki-sensei.

" _And here.. we.. go."_

As Batman and Black Label got to the exit, they heard an alarm go off. Before Batman could ponder what it is, he heard a gun click. He glanced over his shoulder to see Miki holding her gun and aiming it at his skull.

"Don't try anything funny. Even your armor isn't bulletproof from this close. Hitsugi, take Yuko."

Yuko, barely conscious, was unable to completely comprehend the situation and the events taking place. She felt herself switch from the arms of Batman to the arms of someone else.

"We appreciate the help," Miki said as Hitsugi walked out the exit tunnel with Yuko in her arms. "But we still have our orders. Nothing personal, but you'll have to die here. I'm sorry."

Batman glared at her. **"You will be."**

Miki shot Batman in the leg, forcing him down to knee before shutting the door behind them and sprinting after Sayo. Miki put her fingers to her ear and contacted Oriha.

"Now, Oriha!"

 _'Yes, ma'am!'_

Batman heard a loud rumble and then the sound of something caving in. He growled in annoyance. _**"They blew up the tunnel so I can't escape... The blast door security system has been activated. If I walk through this halls, I run the risk of dying here in some gas."**_

Batman pulled a bandage from his belt and wrapped the wound. He then reached into his belt and pulled out a gas mask, strapping it to his face.

" _ **According to the maps, the other exit is all the way on the other side of the facility."**_

Batman breathed out, mentally suppressing the pain with meditation. He walk forward, a slight limp that one wouldn't be able to notice looking at him. As he edged down the hallway, he turned on his thermal vision and scanned his path.

" _ **There's no way to get past the sensors without triggering them."**_

Batman walked through invisible lasers, the alarm tripping off as a blast door came down in front of him and behind him. From above, potent green gas began speedily spewing out and filling the area.

" _ **With gas this amount, the filter on this mask will only last me for 45 minutes. The blast doors are thick and the hand-held laser I have has only enough power for 10 minutes. I have explosives but who knows if they'll be enough?"**_

Batman took his laser and slowly cut a round hole in the door, the process taking nearly a minute. Batman went through and once again, another fell in front of him. The long process of getting through one hall would be tirelessly repeated far too many times for him, his gadgets running out as the doors slowly overwhelmed him in number. Eventually, Batman made it to a room where they ran tests on people. He took off his mask and walked through the place, looking for anything he can use should his gadgets run out.

He saw chamber upon chamber of human people, some with outlandish features such as gills and scales but they were all dead. Batman grimaced at the last chamber. It was shattered and it was broken from the inside. Batman didn't have long to ponder what it was as a pair of yellow eyes stared at him from above. The creature jumped down and tried to strike Batman but he had long since been aware of its presence before that and managed to dodge it. The creature landed on its feet, snarling at Batman ferally. The creature was a person but with reptilian scales riddling his body and gills on his neck. His eyes were yellow with slit pupils and his tongue was like a snake's. His skin was a faint yellow color and his nails were horrendously long. The worst part of it all was that the person looked to be a 15 year old boy. The boy pounced him but Batman punched him in the face with a right cross, knocking him to the floor. The boy puked on the floor, blue vomit dripping from his chin.

" _ **He's dying..."**_ Batman solemnly surmised.

The boy charged Batman again, swiping at him with his "claws". Batman twisted and shifted his body, avoiding every strike before sweeping the boy off his feet, the kid landing on his back.

" **Stop this."** Batman said.

The boy sprung up and nicked Batman in the cheek. Batman stumbled, his sight becoming dizzy. **"Wha..."** The boy tried to strike him again but Batman pushed him away, grabbing his own head as he tried to retain his balance. The boy roared and tried to rush Batman once more but his body suddenly seized, his eyes grew dimmer and the next moment, the young boy, whose hopes and dreams, no matter how ambitious, no matter how vulgar, would never be realized as he fell to the floor on his face, his mind dead but his soul long since so.

Batman's mind became twisted, his perception of reality shifting around. The room looked elevated in some places and buried in others. _**"He must have had... uh... some sort of chemical on his nails from the experiments they did..."**_ Batman glanced up and, as if it were an angel, a smile graced his lips. Vents, his old friend.

Batman climbed through, his mind twisting the corridor in such a way he couldn't tell if he was up or down, moving forward or simply standing there.

" _ **No... Focus... focus!"**_ Batman pushed through the effects with his willpower, the vent passageway becoming somewhat clearer. As he moved through the vents, finding his way to the exit, his mind floated back to Miki's breaking off their alliance and leaving him here to die, what she said to him and what he said to her.

" _ **It was foolish... Not to expect them to do it... Amateurish even... Being with Konomi and Yuu let my guard down, made me too trusting. I put my life and perhaps more in danger because of an oversight. Unfortunate for them... I don't make the same mistake twice."**_

 _'Ry-... Ryu? Ryu, are you there?!'_ Konomi's frantic voice came through the comm-link.

" **I'm here..."**

 _'Oh, good... I loss communication when you went down there. Are you alright?'_

" **Poisoned, shot, traversing through a vent to escape deadly gas and the facility itself before it potentially detonates... I'm peachy..."**

 _'Poisoned? Shot?! What happened to Black Label?'_

" **Partnership broke down. They trapped me in here to die as well."**

 _'Those son of a...'_ She heard her sigh. _'Well, to be honest, that's not the only bad news. I didn't call only to check up on you.'_

" **What is it?"**

 _'Chikage escaped. Some hooded man came in and freed her, destroying your sewer base in flames.'_

" **Hm... I got everything I needed from her anyway."**

 _'I guess we're just lucky they didn't try to hack into the computer.'_

" **The computer didn't matter either. I didn't have any files placed on there. The only files I keep are on the main computer in the Batcave."**

 _'Heh. Always one step ahead.'_

" **Not this time..."**

Batman eventually came to a grate. He kicked it down, jumping out from the vent and landing in front of the door. He opened it and went through the tunnel leading above ground.

" _ **I'm surprised they didn't blow this tunnel up as well. I suppose they didn't expect me to make it out alive. They underestimated me and it worked to my advantage... Thinking back on it now, I can understand them taking the opportunity to try and kill me. As a fellow soldier on the battlefield, I can relate to taking any openings to taking out your enemy. Were I like them, I would've done the same thing. But I'm not like them and they're not like me. These are the facts."**_

Batman eventually made it to the end of the tunnel, ascending to the outside world.

"Freeze!"

" _ **Great..."**_ Batman came out in a warehouse, that connected to the facility via secret passageway beneath the river. **_"Surrounded."_**

The security guards who were evacuated were now sprawling the warehouse, aiming their guns at him. Armoured cars shining light inside the place, allowing Batman to clearly see the man he was well on his way to resenting – Yamamoto. The man stood in the middle of the crossing headlights, staring at Batman menacingly.

"There he is... the damned rat with wings. Not satisfied with destroying one facility but the another one too. What a streak."

" **I won't be satisfied until you're rotting in jail."**

"That won't do a thing and you know it. Besides, I'm hardly fit for your average prison."

" **We'll see about that."**

Yamamoto smiled but with an angry vein popping in his head. "Do you know why I haven't simply blown my facility to hell and sent you along with it?"

" **I already know why."**

"Do you?"

" **You're arrogant enough to think you can kill me with your own two hands. Had you really been an angry man, you would have had me shot the moment I came out or blown up the minutes you saw me on your camera feeds. You want me all to yourself. Unfortunately, that's not going to end well for you."**

"How smart a man you are! Yes, it's quite true... except for one thing. I am angry. So very angry. So _very fucking angry_ that I want to rip your throat out and tear your innards to shreds! None of you interfere! I will kill this man myself."

Yamamoto stalked forward, standing in front of Batman with a threatening pose. Batman smirked and held out his hand, cockily beckoning him with his hand. Yamamoto screamed and charged Batman, swinging his fist for his head. Batman stepped to the side, parried and countered with a punch to the jaw. What Batman didn't expect to feel was heavy impact and his knuckles hurting.

Yamamoto ferally grinned before uppercutting Batman in the gut, the punch making him double over and cough up blood. Yamamoto then grab Batman's scalp and threw him over his shoulder, hard on the ground.

"Surprised?"

" **That's not human strength..."  
**

"Indeed. It's the strength of a being who is half-man and half-technological genius."

" **What?!"**

Yamamoto reached up to his face and ripped half of his skin off, revealing a mechanical, humanoid, metallic one in its place. The eyes were green and even the teeth glistened.

"Ten years ago, I had an accident that cost me 30% of my human body. It was said that I wouldn't survive, wouldn't live to thrive. Yet, I did! Human will preserved and achieved immortality with scientific genius! I knew this was no miracle of God but fate beckoning me to a greater calling, a greater destiny beyond that of human dribble. I will build my army, forgoing such things as 'ethics' and obtain true immortality. Any who join me are the chosen and any who don't, kneel at my feet. As such."

Batman's head blurred again, his dizziness returning. **_"No... not now, not here..."_**

"Die, mongrel!" Batman barrel rolled out of the way as Yamamoto brought his fist down, a huge thud heard. Batman got up, wiping the blood of his chin.

" _ **Direct combat is useless. If his body is half mechanical, then I have just the thing. But his body's defenses will have to be disrupted. I need to strike him from the back, near the neck. This will confuse the brain's commands and allow me to finish him."**_

Batman dropped a smoke pellet, vanishing in the mist.

"Bah, toys? Do you have no gall to at least die like a man?"

" **Says the walking cyborg."** Batman's voice was impossible to pinpoint, the sound seeming like it came from around the room.

"So, you will hide? Pathetic! That's the only thing a weakling like you can do! A pathetic weakling who coddles woman and children, who thinks he bring hope into hell. A hopeless fool... people declined by fate are cattle, nothing more. Their deaths mean nothing and they are only given to us by fate to elevate our being into immortality! That is why-"

" **Shut up."** Batarangs flew from behind Yamamoto and hit him in the neck.

"Hah! What do you think such-" Electricity emitted from them, disturbing his body's functions. He started to twitch, kneeling on his feet unable to completely control his body. "W-what? What's happening?"

" **I said shut up. I'm sick of hearing you speak."**

Batman tossed some unknown device that emitted a blue wave. Soldiers quickly heard the vehicles fry and Yamamoto could no longer control the mechanical side of his body.

"Huh? What... what did you do? Whatdidyoudowhatdidyoudowhatdidyoudowhatdidyoudo!?"

" **Short wave EMP. Anything on your body that isn't human is useless now."** Batman swung down from above and used his momentum to kick Yamamoto in the face without sustaining damage himself. **"You call those lives you took cattle?"** Batman swung down again as Yamamoto sat back up, unable to fully stand and kicked him down again. **"Is that what you consider the lives of innocents?!"**

Batman came down from above, landing on Yamamoto's body. He grabbed the man by the collar and got into his face, angrily gritting his teeth. The right side of Yamamoto's face still twitched in fear, meaning that part was human. Batman would take it. He socked Yamamoto in the face, knocking him to the ground and making him bleed.

" **That was for the children!"** He grabbed his collar, pulled him up and hit him again.

" **That was for the woman you tortured!"** He repeated the process, hitting him even harder and knocking a few of his real teeth out.

" **And that was for any I missed, scum."**

Batman glanced over his shoulder and glared at all the shoulders, his potent anger going off in waves around the room. The guards all unconsciously took a step back.

" **Run. Run as far and fast as you can. Run and hide and never let me find you. Because if I do... you won't like what comes next."**

They didn't need to be told twice. Instead of going against a guy who disabled their equipment and took out a cyborg, they dropped their guns and ran far and fast. One guy tripped and made the mistake of glancing back. He thought he was looking at a demon from hell and that only motivated him to sprint away fast.

After they were gone, Batman glanced down at Yamamoto's unconscious body. For a second, while he was punching him, he had contemplated letting go of all restraint. It wasn't the first time a thought like that had entered his mind and probably wouldn't be the last. To see all those children used in such a way, to hear this man speak of them in such manner unleashed something in Batman he tried to keep locked in – a beast. A ferocious demon who lusts for blood.

" _ **Never. I'll never dishonor the dead by lowering myself to the level of people like him. Never..."**_

* * *

Later that night, people all formed in a crowd around the body that hung from a lamppost. Yamamoto, the businessman, half-robot, half-human, full psychopath and delusional monster, was tied in Batman's line and hanging like the world's worst Christmas present. They all flocked around and they saw the batarang that stuck out of his back. They saw and wondered of the man known as the Batman – the hero of Tobioka City.

* * *

Hoped you liked it! If you like the chapter and the story overall, let me know in a review. Follow and fav if you haven't already and share it with friends who would like stories like this. Thanks for reading guys and see ya next time.

Green out.


	12. Chapter 12: Otherwordly

A.N.: Alright, another long chapter for you guys. Hope you enjoy. If you do, please R&R!

* * *

Bruce sat in his chair, his leg currently resting on a stool. Konomi was bent over his thigh, fishing the bullet out while Yuu held his hand for support. He didn't actually need it but did appreciate the sentiment. Konomi picked out the bullet, before applying the stitches to the wound. Yuu squeezed his hand, smiling at him as Konomi worked on the bullet wound.

"Can there ever be a day where you come back down here _not_ shot someplace on your body?"

"I honestly doubt it."

She sighed as she began applying the bandage. "I can't believe they actually tried that... I mean, I knew they were trying to kill you but after you saved their teammate, I just hoped..."

"I'm not surprised they tried. I just didn't expect them to do it while we were under the base. It was an oversight in my own judgment."

"So," Yuu interjected. "What do we do now?"

"No more games." He said. "I'm going to bring the corruption of the police to light and take down Black Label once and for all."

"How?"

"Yuu-chan, for that, I might need your help. The other day, you told me that you were an expert archer, correct?"

"Yes, but I stopped practicing two years ago."

Bruce stood up, putting weight on his uninjured leg and walked over to a case. He opened it and inside was a green bow with a quiver of green arrows. Yuu gasped in surprise.

"What's all this?"

"Your weapon. You'll be using a bow and arrow in the field."

"Is that really anymore effective than a gun?"

"It is in the right hands. Here," He handed it to her. "Feel it out."

She took a hold of the weapon, aiming it around the spacious room with a proper archer's stance. She closed one eye and aimed, pulling back the string and firing an imaginary arrow. "This... feels weird. I haven't held a bow in so long..."

"You'll get the hang of it." He handed her an arrow and then grabbed an apple. He put the apple on his head and walked a few feet away from her. "Hit this apple." He dared.

"Wha-what?"

"Ryu!" Konomi exclaimed.

"Do it! Take up your bow and aim. Breathe and concentrate. See your target and shoot."

Reluctantly, Yuu brought up the bow, exhaled and took careful aim. She extended her arm, keeping it straight and focusing intensely. She tried to keep her hand steady, closing her eye and pulling back the arrow. She raised her elbow properly before releasing it, the arrow whizzing through the air.

Konomi gasped and covered her mouth upon seeing it hit the apple perfectly, knocking it off Bruce's head and sending it to the floor. Bruce smirked, walking over to her.

"Good work."

"That was so dangerous, Ryu-kun! What if I hit you instead?"

"I knew you wouldn't. And from your willingness to even raise your bow in the first place, you believed in yourself too."

Konomi punched Ryu in the arm. "Don't scare me like that, jerk."

Bruce gave her a small smile before turning to Yuu. "Practice with that. I'm going to need it when I expose the police crimes."

"Once again, how do you plan on doing that?"

"Several officers I've been keeping tabs on are planning something tonight. These officers have been taking bribes from various drug dealers, allowing them to fester and sell their product in exchange for a cut. I'm going to take out one of their members and convince them to confess their illegal acts and the acts of the police force to an honest cop." He glanced down at Konomi, who nodded and saluted him.

"Gotcha, you can count on me."

"Ryu-kun, what do you want me to do?" Yuu asked.

"Alright, here's the plan..."

* * *

Yuko rested in a private, secure room of Mochizuki Hospital's secret base. She was unconscious, her injuries nonfatal but still somewhat dangerous. She had tubes going into her body, several clear liquids helping her body recover. Miki sat in a corner, watching her friend sleep with concern. The door opened and Mikoto walked in.

"How is she?" She asked softly.

"She's fine... Her wounds aren't life threatening and with the CCHV fluids flowing into her, some of her injuries will heal faster than others. There shouldn't be too many scars on her body after her treatment is over. Even her toenails should grow back at a faster rate."

"I can't believe how much Yuko-sensei was put through... She's strong."

"Yeah... She's stronger than anyone." Miki reached out and grabbed her friend's hand, kissing it softly.

"I was sent here by Fiona-san. She said that she's not able to pick up the transmitter you fired into Batman's leg."

"I think I shot the wrong bullet... I'm sorry. I must've been too flustered from getting Yuko back."

"I understand. I'll let her know." Mikoto hugged Miki from behind, giving her silent support before walking out of the room, leaving her alone with her friend.

"That's not why you didn't do it..."

Miki glanced up upon hearing the weak statement of her friend. Her eyes were open, staring at the ceiling.

"You heard?"

"I got the gist of it... You were commissioned to shoot him with a transmitter bullet in case he escaped. Should he have done so, we could've tracked him back to his hideout and eliminate him. Miki, even in the most dire situations, you would never mix up which bullet you were supposed to use. You know guns like the back of your hand. You purposely chose not to do that... and instead pinned your hopes on him escaping the near-hopeless situation."

"Heh... I can never hide anything from you, can I?"

"Nope."

The two shared a small chuckle before the seriousness returned to the room.

"Miki... At that moment, you sensed it too, right?"

"I don't know what I felt when I pointed my gun at him... except..."

"Except?"

"He felt like... something that's not from this world. I couldn't place it but I know I've never felt anything like that before. It's such a different vibe from-"

"-Mochizuki, right?"

She only looked down, while Yuko turned her head back to the ceiling.

"The fact that you were ordered to use such methods to take out our target, methods we've never used before, tells me one thing... Something's changing with our organization, with our leader. Something that I don't think we can stop..."

"You might be right. For once, we may have to call into question... what we're really doing here and what good is it bringing."

Yuko closed her eyes, an image of Batman projected in her mind. She sighed to herself, letting her vision fade to nothingness and allowing sleep to takeover.

* * *

Bruce, after discussing things with Yuu and Konomi, walked the streets to his job. A phone to his ear, Bruce crossed the street.

 _'There's hardly anything on them. Whoever overlooks the distribution of their personal history keeps the lid on it well. However, I did find a couple interesting tid bits about Mikami and Hitsugi.'_

Bruce had Vixen on the other line, using the special phone she had given him. He knew about the tracking device she had planted on it and had disabled it upon receiving the phone.

"Go ahead." He responded.

 _'Hitsugi's father was Itaru Togo, a researcher that flew off the map some 12 years ago. He was working with Mochizuki, though there are no records of what or why. Mikami had some special drug used on him that allowed his transplanted limbs to regenerate with ease. Don't know what the name is though.'_

"D99. I heard the doctor talk about it once. See what you can find out about it. I'll find clues about her father."

 _'D99? Never heard of it but I'll see what I can do. Just remember our deal. I don't like it when people skimp out on their word.'_

Bruce turned a corner, putting his phone in his pocket. He began to take a short cut through an alleyway, only a few blocks away from his job. As he walked down the alley, he felt something was off. The air around him was shifting and he could feel eyes staring at him, peering at the back of his head. He felt killer intent waving through the air as if a knife was being pressed in his throat. He stopped walking, his eyes slowly looking out of his peripheral vision.

" _If I announce that I know someone is here, I'll give away that I have training. This may connect me to something I don't want to be connected to."_

Bruce resumed walking, slower than before but without giving away signs that he was looking out for danger. It took a certain amount of fortitude not to panic when you find out someone is after your life. At first, it seems like every movement and noise is a sign of an attack – every stray cat frolicking, every honking horn and even the smell of the garbage makes you think you're under the threat of a poison gas attack. Bruce, however, retained his calm and simply struggled to determine where they were and how many were there. He couldn't understand why someone was after him particularly, either. Unlike in Gotham City, he wasn't a public figure and therefore wasn't a big target to go after. He also wasn't wearing astonishingly expensive clothing or watches so he didn't look any different from your average businessman. Still, someone was after him. Bruce glanced up to see someone walking his way. It was a woman, wearing a mask over her face and had purple eyes. In her hands were two kusarigama, complete with chains wrapped around her arms. She also had a bandage wrapped around her leg but the wound didn't seem to affect her.

Bruce stopped short, narrowing his eyes. "Excuse me, but those look dangerous?"

The woman didn't respond, the dead look in her eyes becoming more apparent as she walked closer and closer, her chest bouncing ever so slightly. Bruce's eyes widened upon recognition of those eyes.

" _They are familiar... Goryu?! I see... So it makes sense. After opposing him, Tobishiro wants me dead. It's also good for him that I die near the company. It's almost a warning signal for anymore board members who decide to cross him..."_

Feigning fear, Bruce raised his hands and began taking a step back. "H-hey, you're not going to hurt me with those things, right? I didn't do anything..."

" _I can't turn my back to her. The minute I do, she'll take my head off. I have to keep my sight on her."_

Goryu raised her weapons and, with near superhuman speed, rushed forward to lop his head off. Bruce pivoted his feet and pushed himself back, falling to the concrete.

" _My reaction has to look like an accident. Like I tripped and fell as I tried to back away."_

Goryu came down with the strike and Bruce skidded back, kicking himself away from her in a scurry. She regarded him with what seemed like pity before jumping in the air and preparing to offer the final blow. Bruce reached for a trash can top and blocked her attack, the blades going through the metal and nearly impaling his stomach. Bruce redirected her arms away from him and began sprinting away from the alley. Bruce reached into his coat pocket while his back was turned, pulling out a taser.

"Stay back!" He screamed.

" _Keep playing the victim, don't let her onto me. Make it seem accidental, make it seem like lucky hits..."_

He spun around just in time to see her swipe for his head. Bruce stumbled back, dodging the strike and shocking her in her injured leg. She grunted in pain, dropping to one knee. Bruce took this opportunity to push her away and sprinted for the exit.

" _I can't risk engaging her anymore. If I do, I'll have to properly defend myself. I'll have no choice... I have to make it. Make it!"_

Bruce heard her chasing after him, her kusarigama spinning over head. She threw them at him, aiming the blade to cut into his calf. Bruce jumped out of the way.

" _No choice. Whatever happens, happens."_ Just as he prepared to get up and fight did Goryu throw a smoke bomb on the ground. Silent bullets were then shot into the smoke and a man walked before Bruce. He recognized the man as Paulo, the Vixen's bodyguard.

"Are you unharmed?" He asked.

Bruce glared at the back of his head. _"How did he find me?"_ "I'm fine." He replied. "Thank you... but who are yo-"

"The facade won't work. The Madame already knows who you are, Batman."

Bruce's glare intensified. "How?" He demanded.

"That tracking device you disabled was actually a switch. One you turned it off, the real tracking device would activate and we would be able to locate you wherever you were. I know, after all, since I developed the thing. I may not look it but I'm a kick-ass engineer. I used to make some deadly military vehicles."

"Why did you come here? Could you hear what was going on?"

"No, but the Madame suspected that since you were in an alleyway for so long, that you may be in danger. She suggested I check out, just in case. Do you know that woman?"

"No." He lied.

"I see... In any case, she's gone for now. Something tells me she wasn't in the best condition to fight."

" _That wound seemed like a knife wound... Perhaps a sword? With her combat skill, it would seem unlikely that she would get hit by some amateur. Sagiri, perhaps? If that's the case, was she tortured or guarded by Goryu?"_

"In any case, you should be safe for now."

Bruce continued on his way, moving down the alley and leaving Paulo behind.

"Geez, what an unsocial-able guy..."

Bruce eventually came up to the building of Tobishiro' company. He stared at it for a few moments before walking around the building, coming along the fire escape exit. He pressed on the door, opening it.

Bruce began walking up the fire escape stairway slowly, his hands in his pockets. His head was down but he stopped upon seeing a shadow cast before him. Someone was standing on the landing above him.

"Well... you look like shit."

Bruce raised his head, his eyes meeting Sayo Hitsugi's. She was staring down at him, a satisfied smirk on her face, with her eyes crossed and the business clothes that she wore the other day on.

"Not happy to see me?" She teased.

"I was right. You did come in the building through the fire escape exit."

"Yeah, it was pretty easy. Fire exits are supposed to have 'storeroom' locks so that you can only go one way and not reenter but most contractors these days just put in unlockable doors so they can't get sued if a lock jams during a fire. All it took was walking upstairs, having on a nice suit and flirting with some of the company workers and boom. No one suspected a thing."

"Are you going to get out of my way or are you going to try to finish what Tsurugi couldn't do?"

"If I try to kill you here, it'll just cause a ruckus. Besides, I suppose I kind of owe you for Yuko-sensei anyway. So, no, while we're at work, we'll just be good ol' business associates... but don't get it twisted. If I see an opportunity to murder you, I'm gonna do it." She turned and began to walk away when Bruce spoke up one last time.

"Who's Itaru Togo?"

She stopped short and spun around, a wild confused look on her face. Images flew through her mind like a wave and before she knew it, she was clutching her head. She glanced down at Bruce, who, while not smiling, had a smug look about him, almost like he knew how it would affect her.

"Where-where did you hear that name?!"

Bruce walked up the stairs slowly, coming up to her. He moved his face near hers, bringing his lips next to her ear.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He whispered. He walked on, opening the door to the office floor and going in, leaving Sayo standing there shellshocked and more than a little pissed off.

" _That smug son of a..."_

Bruce walked to the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. His suit coat had dirt all over it and his white shirt beneath the coat was torn in several places. Bruce turned on the faucet, gathering water in his hands and splashing it over his face.

"Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you looked like you were robbed."

Bruce glanced out the corner of his eye to see another business partner, Rouga Shiro, walked into the bathroom.

"Yeah. Grubby bastards took everything I had on me."

"Well, this city has its downsides."

"I suppose it does."

Rouga walked over to the sink next to Bruce. "I meant to tell you the other day, that was an impressive show you put on in the board room. You not only put down Kyoji and perhaps, saved lives, you prevented us from going into a lawsuit and uncovered how incompetent Tobishiro might be. After the CEO of Rayko Co., Yamamoto, got arrested and revealed to have done illegal experiments on himself and others, we really need some businessmen in Tobioka who won't be trying to make money off of people's misery."

"That's why I plan to start my own business soon enough."

"Oh?"

"Developing advance software products for various tech companies and such."

"Well, how interesting. Would you be looking for a co-kickstarter?"

"And what would you be willing to offer?"

"I've graduated top of my class in Computer Science and Programming. I think I may know a thing or two. Why don't we discuss it over dinner?"

Bruce smirked. "Are you asking me out?"

Rouga chuckled lightly. "Tis a mere business dinner, worry not."

"I can't do it tonight, but once I have more of the details ironed over, we can discuss them tomorrow."

"Sounds good. I'll call you. Oh, and here," Rouga handed him his own suit coat. "So you can look decent during the meeting."

Rouga sauntered out of the room, leaving Bruce alone to stare at the mirror. His eyes lingered on his reflection and it contorted and twisted until the face of his other half became the mirror. His mind wandered back to last night, when he felt the urge to kill. The urge to lower himself to that of a criminal. It wasn't the first time he has felt like this. *He remembers the reflection and when he first met it, when he first saw himself and the surface of the monster inside him.

Bruce splashed water on himself one last time before grabbing a paper towel and walking out of the bathroom. After fixing himself up and putting on the coat Rouga gave him, Bruce walked into the meeting room where everyone had already gathered. He took his seat across from Rouga, who was wearing what seemed to be his spare suit jacket. Bruce turned his head and glanced at Kyoji, who was were refraining from glancing Bruce's way. He seemed tense and noticeably frustrated. His teeth were gritted and veins were popping in his head.

" _What the hell is Komori still doing alive? Damn Goryu... I'll teach you a good lesson, alright, you bit-"_

"Tobishiro-san?" Bruce addressed him. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm-I'm fine. Shall we get to business, gentlemen?"

* * *

Arashi sat under a tree in his lunch hour, staring up at the sky. He watched the clouds float away, content with just staring at them. That was, until, Hinako Kominato blocked his vision, standing over him and smiling down at him.

"Hello, Arashi-kun~!"

"Oh, hey, Kominato."

She sat down beside him, the smile on her face remaining. "I made you something." She reached into her backpack and pulled out a packed lunch, sitting it on his lap. "A homemade meal! I figured sinc0e you said you always forget your lunch money, that I would make some for you. I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all." He politely replied, smiling at her as he opened it. His smile made her cheeks crimson. "Thank you, Kominato. This was really kind of you."

From afar, Yuu watched her friend sit with Arashi and she frowned. She knew who he was, had seen it with her own eyes and it chilled her to her bones. She also knew her best friend had a major crush on Arashi, ever since last year and had been subtly trying to gain his affections. She was always kind of wary about him but never so much now as before. She wanted to storm over there, grab Hinako and pull her out of there, yelling at Arashi to never come near her again but Hinako would be livid. Yuu sighed, biting her lip.

" _Ryu-kun said that so long as they were around civilians, they wouldn't kill anybody. They only go after murderers after all."_ That thought, however, did nothing to alleviate the anxiety she felt upon seeing those two together. _"Speaking of Ryu-kun..."_

Since it was lunch hour, Bruce told Yuu that he would take her out of for lunch and she happily agreed. She walked off school grounds, striding along the sidewalk until she saw Bruce waiting for her across the street. She waved at him joyfully before crossing the street to meet him.

"Are you ready?"

"Mmhm!" She nodded. Hands in his pockets, Bruce and Yuu walked off from their school, unaware of the pairs of eyes that watched them from afar.

"Where would you like to go eat?"

"Anywhere you want to go is fine with me."

"Alright, good." Bruce grabbed her hand and led her into the park, leading her somewhere unbeknownst to her. Yuu, however, wasn't so focused on their destination as she was on the fact that his hand was extremely warm. It wasn't visible now, as Bruce had put special cream on his hands that hid them, but his hands had all sorts of abrasions and scars from constant training and hitting hard objects. Looking at those from the surface, you would think such calloused hands wouldn't be comfortable to hold. However, such thoughts would be wrong. Yuu never felt softer hands and the fact that he was so human just made him seem even more attractive than he simply looked. Bruce stopped when they reached the top of a small hill. Yuu glanced around him to see a small blanket laid out on the grass and a picnic basket sitting on it. Her eyes widened with delight as she squeezed his hand.

"Ryu-kun! You did all of this?!"

"Well, I arranged it. The food, however, I had to order because I know absolutely nothing about cooking."

She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Wow, this is beautiful." She took off her shoes, sat on the blanket and opened the basket. When she noticed Bruce hadn't sat down yet and was standing there looking around, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"I thought someone was watching us just now... was it my imagination?"

"Don't worry about that now. Come on, sit!" She patted the spot next to her.

"Right..." Still somewhat cautious, Bruce complied and sat next to her, smiling down at her charmingly.

From behind a tree, staring at them from out of sight, a pair of eyes gleefully spied on them. "Heh-heh-heh..."

* * *

Hours later, night fell over Tobioka City. The night fog of the pollution in the city began overtaking the air, clouding the stars and only revealing the ghoulish smirk of the moon. Bruce walked through the streets with his hands in his pockets, an elaborate disguise keeping his identity hidden. Instead of his slicked back hair, he had his hair color dyed red and his hairstyle messier than before. He had his contacts on his eyes that made them seem hazel and make-up on his face that gave him a tan glow. He had an earring on his left ear and a red goatee on his chin. Bruce wore a grey hoodie and black jeans with his white undershirt sticking out. He wore the hood over his head, keeping the comm-link in his ear hidden.

"You two remember the plan?"

 _'Yes.'_ Came the simultaneous reply of both of his operatives.

Bruce walked into an alleyway where he saw four men gathered in a circle, talking amongst themselves. Upon noticing him walking towards them, they turned at him and pointed a gun at him

"Stop! Who rules the king?"

"Ain't no king that rules a damn king." Bruce replied, altering his voice to be more urban and thug-like.

"Alright..." The man lowered his gun with a sigh of relief. "You him?"

"Yeah. I'm him, sent by the Dragon himself. You need ID or somethin'?"

"Nah. You knew the code, so it's all good."

The Dragon was a mysterious crime lord that rivaled Tobishiro in terms of underworld power. He had been feeding crime to the city for over 50 years and even Batman didn't know much about him. He had kept his information secret and remained in the shadows, plaguing people's lives. If all goes well, then police corruption would end tonight and the Dragon's identity would either be exposed or threatened.

Standing around him were four police officers who took bribes and jobs from the Dragon for extra cuts. It was more for greed than anything, seeking money for vile pleasures. The first man was Matsuda Akiyama, a cop on the force for over three years. One of the most experienced people when it comes to performing these jobs. Akira Fujimoto, the man who aimed the gun at him, was a cop for one year, became upset with the pay and opted to take some dirty jobs on the side for some extra cash. Chouko Kita, a rotund cop whose only goal in life is to endlessly cause misery for people in Batman's city. A true sadist to his core. The final man was a rookie cop by the name of Haruto Matsushita. He really didn't know what he was getting himself into. He simply heard about a great deal and wanted to join in.

"So how do we know you're the real deal?" Matsuda asked.

Bruce rolled up his sleeve, revealing a tattoo of a red dragon slithering around his arm.

"Alright," Chouko chimed. "He's the real deal."

"Yeah." Bruce rolled his sleeve back down. "The Dragon told me that he wanted this clean, no dead bodies leadin' back to him."

"Yeah, we know man." Haruto replied.

"Then why the hell you idiots pointing a damn gun at some random guy walking down an alley? That's just callin' for trouble. And you guys gotta know that the Dragon don't like loose ends..."

That statement made them all look at each other nervously.

"From here on, I'm callin' the shots. We do this clean, no killing and in the dark. We get in, make the deal with the Yakuza and get the hell out."

"Ay, ay!" Akira protested. "Why the fuck some no name lapdog from the Dragon telling us what to do? You know how long we been doing this? We ain't taking orders from you, motherfu- AHH!"

Bruce grabbed the man's nose and painfully twisted it. The man dropped to his knees under Bruce's complete control.

"I don't give a damn about your feelin's and I don't give a damn about how long you been makin' deals. _I_ call the shots because _I_ ain't some stupid trigger happy fool who would shoot the first civilian on sight. So, yeah, you gonna do what I say or I can put you down right here and right now. Capisce?"

"Y-yeah..." Bruce kicked him to the ground. The man rubbed his nose, seething under his breath.

Bruce stuck his hands in his pockets, silently pleased at the turn of the events. _"Good."_ He thought. _"My dominance, identity and the no-killing rule has been established. The first part of the plan went smoothly. Now, let's see how the rest goes..."_

The five men got into a car, with Bruce taking the front seat and Matsuda at the wheel. Akira, Chouko and Haruto all sat in the back.

"We're goin' to the abandoned underground storehouse facility near the docks. The Yakuza boys have already gathered there. Let's make this transaction quick."

The rest of the ride was taken in a tense silence. Everyone was either staring out the window or staring at their hands. For the corrupt cops, it was because they were venturing into a situation which could mean life or death. For Bruce, it was something else entirely.

"We're here." Matsuda announced. The car drove down underground, parking in the lot where there was only one extra car. Standing outside their car were the Yakuza, four in number, wearing red horned masks and suits. Bruce and the other four got out of the car and walked up to them with a briefcase in hand.

"You're the pickup?" The lead Yakuza asked.

" _Now, these next few moments determine the course of the second part of the plan..."_

Bruce tapped on the case twice. "Yeah. Where's the merchandise? It better not be some hit-or-miss second-rate garbage."

Atop a rooftop, staring at the meeting from afar, the girl codenamed 'Hunter' overlooked the meeting. Though it was underground, it was really just in a basement. At the base of the buildings were windows that allowed you to see through. Two of the Yakuza were positioned where she could see them. Hunter wore a dark green bullet proof leather jacket that had black on the sides and the jacket zipped down to show a generous amount of cleavage. She had dark green pants with black on the sides and wore black tactical boots along with black gloves. She had a dark green hood over her head, concealing her face and black mask covering the lower half. In her hand was the bow that Bruce had given her and a quiver of five special arrows with cylinder ends. Two emitted electricity upon impact, one was anesthetic, one carried oil and another released fire. She was ordered to spend the whole day getting bulls-eye targets and it wasn't until the end of the day that she was gaining a record of hitting them 9/10 smack dab in the middle. The nervousness she felt now as Bruce gave out the signal with the phrase "hit-or-miss" sky-rocketed and now, thoughts were flooding her head about what happens if she missed. She shook her head quickly, banishing such thoughts from her mind.

" _Now's not the time to think about that. This is an integral part of Ryu-kun's plan. I need to focus."_ She steeled herself, taking out an electric arrow and aiming with the scope on the bow. She directed it to a Yakuza's neck. _"Breathe, relax... raise your arm, draw the arrow back... AND SHOOT!"_

The arrow flew through the air, hitting one in the back of his neck. The cylinder end attached to him and sent a shock of electricity that made him fly into unconsciousness. Before anyone could process this, another arrow hit another Yakuza and had him meet the same fate as his friend.

Hunter smirked, her eyes glistening with both pride and ferocity, something she didn't expect to feel. _"BULLS-EYE! YEAH-AH!"_

"Get down!" Bruce shouted. The Yakuza and the police followed Bruce's warning as he they all got into cover behind pillars or the car. Inwardly, Bruce smirked. _"Perfect. She may really be a natural, after all... She's still not ready to be directly involved but so long as she can maintain a distance where no one can get her, she'll be fine."_

"Holy shit, what the hell was that?!" Matsuda exclaimed.

"Was it the Batman?" Haruto cried.

"Maybe..." Bruce replied.

"You idiots were followed?!" The Yakuza shouted. "Because of you, look what happened to our men!"

"Shut the hell up! We ain't got time to be bickerin'! We gots to move! Let's get in our cars and bail!" As soon as those words left Bruce's lips, an arrow was shot at the exit and it spilled a large mess of oil. A second arrow was fired and this released a huge fire, blocking the exit completely.

"Oh, shit..." Chouko uttered.

"There's ain't no other choice... There's another exit on the other side of the building! If we cut through the underground facility, we can make it."

"Damn, I guess there's no other options..." Matsuda clicked his teeth in frustration. "Let's go!" All of them sprinted for the underground, busting the door and running through down the hallways of the old building. The lights above them flickered off and on and old cameras, seemingly deactivated, were over them. The men stopped at an intersection, the flickering lights making the moment completely tense.

A loud clattering, clang was heard in the distance and it unnerved them greatly. Due to the situation, no one payed attention to the demonic glint in Bruce's eyes.

" _Second part of the plan has been executed without flaw. Now, the real fun begins..."_

* * *

 _She was sweating, breathing hard, and unsure of where she was going. She ran and ran, twisting and turning down the halls only to meet dark ghouls. They plagued her, haunted her mind and then, before she could attack or defend herself, she felt a stab in her back. She turned and it was her father who held the sword._

"No!" Yuko sat up in a cold sweat, panting heavily. Her chest went up and down noticeably as her hand flew to her face, covering half of it. After calming down, she looked around the room and saw she alone. Though she felt like getting up, she knew she was in no condition to do so and simply laid back down.

" _The poison is still lingering in my system, giving me nightmares..."_

Elsewhere in the large, underground facility, Miki and Hitsugi stood before Mochizuki, who contemplated on the news they've just delivered.

"I see... I suppose mistakes do happen, Miki. Don't let it bother you too much."

"Yes, sir."

"Still, this is rather troubling news... He defeated Yamamoto and appeared blatantly at his job, knowing we'd find out about his actions either way. He did this as if to say 'I'm alive, so what's your next move?'... What an amusing man. He's beckoning us to make a move, almost as if to show he's not afraid and that he's ready and willing to counter whatever he throws at us. Very well... It seems we will have to go on the offensive."

"What do you mean, sir?" Hitsugi asked.

He smirked, his head resting on the back of his hand.

In the training room, Arashi held his gun in his hand, having been staring at for over half an hour. Next to him stood Ryuu, staring down Arashi as he thought.

"You're thinking about _him_ , again?" Ryuu asked.

"Yeah... The Batman. There's something about him, something I can't place... Something familiar..."

"Can you feel it, Arashi?"

"Feel what, Ryuu?"

"The war on the horizon. The Batman's going to do something big soon and we're going to do something big in retaliation..."

"I suppose you're right."

"We're going to have to kill him, you and I. He needs to die. If he continues to interrupt the Triage, he needs to die."

"I know... but, still, Ryuu..."

"What?"

"Do we... is Mochizuki's Triage... ever wrong? The Triage that had your limbs and heart used to save mine, is the Doctor's Triage infallible or-"

"Arashi." Ryuu interrupted. Arashi glanced up only to freeze upon catching Ryuu's heart stopping glare.

"Are you questioning the man who saved your life, who made you what you are? My father? Think about it – how many people will die because of the wickedness of the tumors the Batman lets run loose. This isn't a complicated situation. Criminals... should die. The world is better off without them and the ones to rid of them should be clear minded people prepared to handle the consequences of killing off tumors."

"You... may be right... but-"

"No 'buts'. You have to follow the Triage, execute it while trusting his judgment. Alright?"

"...Yeah. I guess... I guess you're right, Ryuu. Sooner or later... the tumor known as the Batman will be excised."

* * *

Bruce, the cops and the Yakuza, ran down the hallway, unsure of where to go, which way was right or wrong.

"We should go this way!" Matsuda shouted.

"No, forget that! We should go this way!" Akira pointed to the opposite direction.

"No, we should-"

"Alright, shut it, you dumbasses!" One of the Yakuza shouted, pointing a gun at them. They all held their hands up, keeping their distance. "We don't have time for your shit, alright?! The Bat may be hunting us down as we speak so just stay the hell away from us! We'll go this way and you go the other way, got it?"

"Y-yeah, man..." Chouko complied, a nervous drop of sweat on his brow. "Just stay calm..."

"Come on!" The Yakuza turned and ran down the increasingly dark hall, their footsteps fading as they got further and further.

"Well, I guess we're going this way." Bruce began walking in the opposite direction to them. "Let's go."

The group continued down the halls, their guns out. Bruce pretended to exhibit nervous body language which included dodgy eye movement, slow pace of walking and quicker breaths. The corrupt cops mimicked this, the eerie halls and the darkness of it all contributing to the terrifying atmosphere.

"Hey, man," Akira addressed Bruce with a slight stammer. "You don't think the Bat's hunting us, right?"

"Don't know... Could be. Wouldn't be surprised."

"'Cuz... I heard stories, man. Guy's like a damn demon sent from Hell. I heard he beat up some guys and left them dangling by their guts..."

"Yeah? I heard he sucked people's blood." Matsuda said.

"Come on, what kind of vampire bull is that?"

"Well, it's more believable then your crap!"

"Both of you, shut the hell up!" Bruce shouted.

At that moment, the lights went dark. No one moved, no one breathed, they simply waited, almost as if they were expecting to get attacked in the dark any moment now. Nothing came and that only increased the fear, increased the tension, and increased the sweat running down their heads. They continued to stand still until Bruce finally made a sound.

"Everyone, t-turn on your lights. You got phones, right? Use them for light." Bruce sounded scared, which only made their other cops more frightful. They continued on their path, walking down the hallway slowly. A myriad of bats flew out at them, blocking their vision as the bats attacked them and caused them to drop their phones. They waved their hands around, trying to run but ended up tripping over each other.

"Ow, what the hell, man?!"

"What's going on?!"

"Run, damn it, run!"

By the time the bats had flown off the down hallway, everyone was scratched up. The cops and Bruce looked at each other, before noticing that one of their own was lying face down on the floor with a batarang sticking out of his back.

"What... the... hell...?" Matsuda uttered at seeing Chouko on the ground.

Before anyone could say anything else, an intercom came on and a voice was heard.

 _ **'You realize who you are dealing with now, don't you, scum? You realize that I'm after you and that the one I have just taken down is Chouko Kita, one of the four cops who will be brought to justice because of your crimes. I'll start with each and every one of you, right until you're screaming from the depths of fear. Those bats that have just scratched carried a certain herbal medicine. This medicine, when injected into the bloodstream of a healthy person, could lead to hallucinations, breathing issues, paralysis and ultimately, death. Now, run, scumbags, run."**_

"HOLY SHIT!" Akira sprang up and sprinted down the hallway, running back down from where they came.

"Hey, wait!" Bruce yelled. The group got up and ran after him, leaving Chouko on the floor alone in the dark.

"I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die!" He turned a corner, now running in the same direction the Yakuza ran in. "I DON'T WANNA DIE!" His running stopped after he tripped on something, hitting his face on the floor. He rolled over and shined his light on it just as his group caught up.

"What the..." Haruto whispered. On the floor was one of the Yakuza, lifeless and motionless. Bruce knelt down and to feel his pulse. He grimaced upon feeling none.

"He's dead..."

"H-holy shit..." Akira exclaimed, hyperventilating now. "What are we... what are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?! He's after us, he's after us!" Akira hugged his knees, openly sobbing now. He slowly laid on his side, shutting his eyes closed tightly. "He's after us... he's gonna kill us all just like he killed the Yakuza..."

"But... the Batman doesn't kill... right?" Haruto hesitantly asked.

No one answered, anxiety written all over their faces.

"For now, it looks like Chouko and Akira are out of it. We ain't got a choice, we got to move on..." Bruce began pressing forward when Matsuda grabbed his arm.

"Wait, I don't want to live anyone behind..."

"You kiddin' me, right? Those guys are already screwed, probably dead. You wanna risk your neck just to get 'em back? What if the Bat nabs you and you end up in jail... or worse?"

"I've known the guy for years... I don't want to just leave his corpse here. I'm going back for it!" Matsuda ran off, his gun at the ready.

"Idiot!" Bruce began to run after him as Haruto got up to follow.

"Wait for me!"

"No! Just stay with him!" Bruce replied quickly before running off after Matsuda.

"Stay here... with Akira...?"

Haruto glanced down at Akira, who was a blubbering mess. Haruto stood in the hallway, scared and with a feeling of solitude. The darkness felt like it was circling him, closing in, and overtaking him. His eyes dashed right and left, his hands shivered with fear as the thought of facing the Batman terrified him to his very core. Akira's whimpering didn't help things, either. The thought of ending it entered his mind, of taking his own life into his own two hands and killing himself before the hallucinations start, before the paralysis prevents, before the Batman catches him. Just as Haruto's hand inched near his gun, he heard a rebounding scream ring down the halls.

"RUN!" Bruce came sprinting down the hall in full-speed. "GET HIM UP AND RUN! HE'S COMING! HE'S COMING AFTER US!"

Without thinking twice, Akira and Haruto began making a break for it with Bruce turning the corner with them. They ran down the halls, turning at every corner they saw. The lights continued to flicker as the footsteps echoed in the hallway and it didn't stop until they ran into an office and blocked the door. The three remaining men, plopped on the ground, breathing heavily.

"What... the fuck... happened?!" Haruto exclaimed.

"He just... he just... came out of nowhere... Just grabbed him and dragged him into the darkness, clawing at the ground and tears flying out. We never even made it to Chouko..."

"Shit, shit, shit!" Akira grabbed his head, gripping his hair tightly. "We're next, we're next! He's coming after us next and there's nothing we can do!"

"This all your fault, goddamnit!" Bruce exclaimed, standing up. "I'm lumped into this damn thing because of you stupid bastards! I ain't gonna die because the Bat thinks I roll with you! Stay the hell away from me, both of yous!"

"W-wait...!"

Bruce reached in the back of his waistband and pulled out a gun with an empty clip. The police, of course, had no idea of this fact. Haruto immediately stopped and raised his hands in surrender while Akira kept mumbling strings of words to himself.

"Stay back or I swear to God!"

"A-alright, man... alright..."

Bruce kept one gun on them and the other hand moved the chair that blocked the door and opened it. Once he was out, he shut it before running off. The minute he was out of sight, he threw the gun away in disgust.

" _Even if it's unloaded, it still feels like vile dirt being in the palm of my hand. Regardless, it was necessary for the mission. Now, for the final act..."_

Moment after Bruce had left the room, he let out a loud, reverberating scream that reached Haruto's and Akira's ears with crystal clarity.

"Oh, no..." Haruto got up and moved for the door. "We can't stay here. He'll come for us too... Akira, come..." Haruto glanced back to see Akira making a cross motion on his chest. He looked resigned and was kneeling now with his hands pressed together. "... Akira?"

"I see it now... He's your messenger, isn't he, dear Lord? You have sent him here to correct us, to judge us and to return us to Your Way. I understand now..." An off-putting smile crept onto Akira's face. "I finally understand... I see it now... the clear path..."

"Akira!" Haruto shouted, trying to get his attention. It proved fruitless, however, as something clearly snapped with Akira and he was now humming to himself, his eyes closed as he swayed back and forth.

Haruto's eye twitched, a clear indication that he was near his breaking point.

"Fine then... Fuck you..." Haruto whispered before opening the door and running off. "I'm not gonna die! I'm not gonna die! I-" He stopped short upon seeing the body of the second Yakuza. The dim, flickering light above showed the sitting up against a wall, clearly dead. This made his heart race with panic. The lights shut off and when Haruto looked around wildly, he saw _him_. He stood in the darkness, his foreboding figure barely distinguishable from the pitch blackness of the hall. His red eyes glowered at Haruto as the rookie cop found his legs give out on him. He collapsed, trembling. His eyes widened exponentially as Batman slowly walked up to him, standing over him. He seemed colossal, and his eyes pierced right into his very soul. "I'm... s-sorry..."

Haruto's scream reached the ears of the praying Akira, who simply grinned upon hearing it. "Ah... That is what happens when you anger God... You suffer His wrath at the hands of his dark angels..."

Batman slowly walked through the halls to the office where Akira sat, mentally recounting the details of his plan.

" _ **All according to plan. The two Yakuza Hunter took out were real but the ones that ran inside with us were fakes, agents I indirectly hired. They have no stake in this and simply were looking for a quick buck. Their faked deaths only enhanced the atmosphere I wanted to create. The bats were simply a diversion, used to emphasize who was after them. The details about the medicine was fake too, only added to cause a mild panic. One by one, I would take them out strategically, using Oracle to shut the power when needed. Having her play that recording helped as well."**_

Batman turned a corner, his cape drape around his large frame. He blended in with the shadows, moving as if he were one with them.

" _ **The tactics itself would push them mentally, in the end, producing one who would be so far gone that he would be susceptible to a little suggestion. It didn't matter who, but in the end, the results were better than anticipated. Now, let's end this game..."**_

Batman opened the door in which Akira sat, his head bowed in prayer.

"-My Lord as my shepherd. I shall not want. I-" Akira glanced up at Batman, who stood over him. "The Angel!" He exclaimed, holding out his arms in a reverent manner. "I see it now, o powerful one! I see your message and the crimes we have done against those He deems holy! I seek forgiveness for my soul from our Lord!"

" **If you wish to make amends, then you'll need to do something that would help the innocents of Tobioka."**

"Anything, o messenger of God!"

" **I want you to personally testify to the police, describing every corrupted cop and their connections. Will you do this?"**

"Yes, dark angel! Anything for the Lord in Heaven to absolve me of my sins!" Akira kissed Batman's boots fervently. "Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

* * *

After that night, the police arrested Akira and all who lay in that underground facility. It wasn't overnight, but the city saw major crime lords get taken down, a few CEOs dragged off to jail and even several small-time drug dealers, fellow cops and criminals. Outside the police station, in the middle of the day, the citizens of Tobioka gathered in crowds to watch corrupt policeman get taken away. This was happening all over the city, at every police station. Those who were corrupt, including the police commissioner, were taken to jail. In a rare moment, the Batman stood in the daylight, high on a building overlooking the process. He had to see it for himself – the change, the movement, the revolution from a city ruled by crime to a city ruled by hope. Where criminals can actually get charged and are threatened now. Where they can't easily buy their way out using politicians who no doubt feel the pressure on them.

Hunter stood beside him, watching it with a sweet joy in herself. She watched as a small smile etched his way on his lips and this made her smile in turn. She knew this was what he was fighting for, what she was fighting for.

The wind blew and Batman's cape fluttered in the air, a calm sensation overtaking him.

" _ **I'm not smiling because I'm happy or because I'm proud… I'm smiling because I'm winning. I'm smiling because, soon, there will be a day where I don't have to fight this anymore. Here or Gotham. Someday, I**_ **will** _ **win."**_

BOOM!

That sound could be heard from the police station below and so could be seen a roaring explosion that took out the police station, setting it on fire and the buildings around it. Explosions could be seen in the distance as well, the origins coming from the police stations around the city.

"Oh my God!" Hunter exclaimed.

Batman clenched his fist and gritted his teeth angrily. **"Get back to the Cave!"** He ordered.

"No!" She protested. "I can still help!"

" **Your mission is finished! You're not trained to handle this. Whoever did this is someone I don't want you facing. Obey my orders – Go back to the Cave and rendezvous with Oracle!"'**

Though reluctant, Hunter obeyed and left Batman on the building alone. He growled to himself before grappling onto another building and swinging away.

" _ **Whoever did this will pay!"**_ Batman silently promised.

* * *

"Hm-hm-hm… hm-hm-hmmmm-hm!" Oriha walked through the corridors, humming to herself. The elevator was in front of her. "I wonder when my tour's gonna start… I guess I'll call my manager and-"

She was interrupted by the elevator coming down and opening. Her eyes widened at seeing seven men, all armed to the teeth with what seemed to be SAT gear on their person.

"Is that… the police?!" Oriha raised her hands in surrender as the lead man walked up to her, holding his gun in her face.

"Where is Arashi Mikami and Mikoto Kiba?" He asked, a deep voice modulator disguising his voice.

Oriha, even with the gun in her face, smiled cutely. "They're humping downtown! I can give you their location and you can just leave, no problem!"

"You making fun of us, girl?" The safety of the gun was turned off and the man's hand got tighter on the trigger. "Last chance. Where are they?!"

Oriha put her fingers to her chin. "Hmm… Maybe on a ship in Ori-ori's sea~!"

"Hmph. Cheeky girl."

BANG!

* * *

A.N.: Alright, so I hope you guys enjoyed it. If you did, spread the word and let people know about it. Fav, follow and review with your thoughts. Also, as a side note, Chikage's doctor didn't give her medicine to raise her heat temperature. He gave her "hot beef injections" i.e. he boned her over and over again. Needless to say, that's being retconned from this story. Just thought I'd clarify that.

Until next chapter.

Green out.

( s/11153476/3/Batman-Chronicles-Origins For those who want to know some of the context behind certain things Batman says, I'll be posting chapters which explain the events. This will be important for future stories and will allow you to be updated in case you wanna know.)


	13. Chapter 13: Crippled

Batman swung into a burning police station, crashing through the window and landing amongst the flames. He looked around wildly, seeing dead police officers buried under rubble. These weren't corrupt officers, they were the good ones. The ones who decided to stand firm when all of their other comrades were dealing with the devil. Their reward was to burn in the very suits they wore to uphold themselves as pillars of justice in the very buildings that was to enforce it. Everywhere Batman glanced, he saw burning corpses. Some weren't burning but rather, had been crushed under rubble. This made Batman boil with rage.

" _ **The second station I've come across that had all the officers dead inside. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. They expected me to clean up the police force and waited until the moment where the citizens felt hope and could finally breathe after years of being suffocated with crime and injustice then took it away in an instant, showing them what happens when they even hope for light to shine on this city,**_ _ **leaving only a handful of officers alive**_ _ **."**_

Batman grappled out of the window he crashed through, landing on a building parallel to it. Batman looked out into the distance, seeing the black smoke plume into the air.

" _ **In order to detonate this many police stations at once, they needed to have had set the explosives months ahead of time. This was probably executed by Syringe. Damn it..."**_

* * *

Konomi ran through the halls of the hospital, swerving around the various beds being rolled around the corridors. Police officers, some dead, some missing limbs, were being rushed into the emergency room, being treated in the halls and being declared dead in the halls.

" _Please be okay!"_

Konomi stopped upon finding the bed she searched for. Her partner, Isoroku Tatara, lay in a bed that was getting wheeled off to the emergency room. Half of his face was scalded and he was missing a leg. She ran alongside the bed, trying to get through to her partner.

"Tatara-san! Stay with us! You're going to be alright!"

He didn't respond, or rather, he couldn't and simply breathed haggardly as the doctors pushed him behind the emergency doors, leaving Konomi in the crowded waiting room.

* * *

BANG!

Mikoto shot the gun out of the man's hand while Miki unloaded on them with an assault rifle. Oriha had used Mikoto's intervention to get behind her comrades before Miki shot at them. The men hid behind the elevator corners, peering out of its doorway only for bullets to whiz past them.

"Get to cover, you two! I'll hold them off here. There may be more in the facility so be careful!"

"Yes, ma'am!" They simultaneously replied.

Mikoto and Oriha ran down the hall, Mikoto tossing Oriha her grenade launcher.

"Alright!" Mikoto exclaimed. "Let's fuck 'em up!"

Armed men came around the corner but were quickly put down by Arashi, wearing his helmet and suit. He was focused, calm, steady. His two guns in hand, he ran down the halls. The plan was announced via comm-link – to escape the facility and rendezvous at their back-up hideout somewhere else in the city. Arashi could hear gunshots down the hall.

" _Tsurugi-sensei… I have to assume that everyone is okay. If I don't, I'll never have the strength to get out of here. Who's attacking us? Who?!"_

A man tried to sneak up on Arashi and shoot him but, without even looking, he shot the man between the eyes. Arashi turned down the hall, reloading his gun.

" _Hitsugi-san will get Yuko-sensei, Ran will take care of Mochizuki-sensei while Mikoto, Oriha and I will all escape together. The news yesterday claimed that the corrupt police officers were apprehended on account of a testimony from a criminal. The criminal said he was arrested by Batman… could he have sent these people here? They're wearing SAT gear… the first conclusion one could make is that we've been found out and these people are here to arrest us or worse. But they move less like trained SATs and more like mercenaries… Could it be-"_

His thoughts were interrupted as two people sprang out of the corner. He aimed his gun at them while they did the same in turn. Arashi's eyes widened slightly with relief and he lowered his gun upon seeing Mikoto and Oriha standing in front of him.

"Arashi!"

"Ara-chin!"

"Mikoto, Oriha, you've got Ran's orders, right?"

"Yeah." Mikoto replied. "We got to leave Yuko-sensei to Hitsugi-nee-san and get out through the south exit."

"I got a bad feeling..." Oriha said. "Maybe we should check on Yuko-sensei, too..."

"We got our orders. We just need to follow them." Arashi shot at approaching gunsmen mid-sentence. "Come on, Ampule One."

"Right." Mikoto nodded.

"Right..." Oriha replied, still unsure and concerned.

With that, the three companions began making their way for the exit. In the medical room of the facility, Yuko's eyes awakened upon hearing blows being hit outside her room. She groaned and sat up, reaching for the sword next to her bed. Her vision was still fuzzy and her body still felt immensely sore but she forced herself to snap out of it, swing her legs around and stand on her own two feet. She wobbled slightly, putting her hand on the wall for balance just as Hitsugi came through the door, her mask on and her hands dripping with blood.

"Yuko-sensei!" She put her mask to the side of her face and ran over to her, offering her support.

"What's going on?" She asked weakly.

"Someone's found us out. They seem to be cops..."

Yuko grabbed her achy side. _"Did he blow the whistle on us?"_

"We have to move or else we could get ambushed."

Ran and Mochizuki were moving quickly to an elevator that would allow them to escape underground. Ran had a gun in her hand while Mochizuki moved his wheels down the hall. They had encountered a few man, shooting them dead on sight. Though she didn't look it, Ran was a good shot.

"We have to hurry, Doctor."

"Right..." His breathing was slightly quickened due to moving his wheelchair so speedily.

"You should let me push you."

"No, I'm fine. Just keep an eye out for any enemies."

"Very well. We're almost there-"

"Hold it." A voice spoke out. Ran spun around but the minute she aimed her weapon, it was shot out of her hand.

Mochizuki glared at the two people who stood before him. One was a man, who held the gun, while the other was a woman with a big red hat, wearing shades and red and black clothing. She smoked her pipe, blowing it in the air.

"Hm! Who would've known that the famed Masamune Mochizuki was the leader of the Black Label organization."

"Who are you?"

"I'm a bitch out for blood. You," She addressed Ran. "Call your lapdogs – Arashi Mikami and Mikoto Kiba."

* * *

Batman stood on a tall building, staring down at the city he swore to protect. Soot covered him from head to toe, evidence of his repeated attempts to save lives.

" _ **Two… Only two officers I managed to save… Every other officer of the law lay screaming and burning to death. Civilians died from the radius of the blast, the fire spread from building to building, costing more lives… Too many lives… The firemen weren't able to save too many officers and people… The city I swore to protect now breathes smoke from the charred bones of human beings, evidence of my failure to recognize a hidden threat who may have been expecting this… How many lives did I fail to save? How many people died hoping 'The Batman' would rescue them? Too many… Far too many…"**_

He closed his eyes painfully and went "there". "There" was the place he would go where he would put it all on himself, all of the pain, all of the misery. There was no one else to blame. He could imagine that this was his city – Gotham City. He could keep his eyes closed and breathe in the air and he could swear that he had never left. This entire atmosphere felt the same. From this building, it feels like he could point to the alley where his first true failure began. When two of the most important people in his life were taken away from him. Batman opened his eyes and slowly stood to his full height.

" **Oracle."**

No response.

" **Oracle, come in."**

 _'Batman?'_

" **Hunter? Where is Oracle?"**

 _'I don't know. She wasn't here when I got back.'_

Batman looked into the city that spewed smoke, the city he could swear was his and pondered. _**"Where are you, Oracle?"**_

* * *

Konomi sat in the waiting room with Tatara's family while he was in surgery. The mother was a mess, sobbing profusely. Konomi was doing her best to comfort her at the moment.

"It'll be okay, Mrs. Isoroku. He's stubborn and strong. He'll make it." She couldn't tell if that statement was for herself or for his wife. Konomi glanced up at Tatara's 15 year old adopted daughter. She was very passive, ignoring the emotional moment her mother was going through by playing a video game on her handheld.

"Uh… Ayaka-chan… are you alright?"

"Fine." She replied indifferently. She pumped her fist with a wide grin on apparently winning her game, leaving Konomi completely flabbergasted by her attitude to the situation. Before she could comment on it, a doctor came out out of the doors.

"I'm sorry..." He said slowly. "We did our best, but… it was already too late."

"Oh, no!" Tatara's wife buried her face in her hands, Konomi rubbing her back for comfort while blinking back a few tears herself. She glanced over at Ayaka, who was simply staring at the floor. She had no reaction whatsoever.

* * *

"No." Mochizuki fiercely replied. "I won't hand over Mikami and Kiba to you."

The Vixen sighed, blowing at her fingernails. "Paulo."

"Yes, mistress." He shot at Ran, putting a bullet in her knee and forcing her to the floor.

"Don't mistake the position you're in, doctor. I'd rather not kill you if I didn't have to but I have no qualms about it. Besides, from what I hear, quite a few people would be happy if you died..."

Mochizuki glared at her. "Are you working with the Batman?"

"The Batman? No. I'm simply using him just as he is using me. It's strictly a professional relationship. No, I found you and hunted you people down on my own volition. Now," She snapped her fingers and Paulo aimed the gun at Ran once more. " _Bring me Arashi and Mikoto."_

Mochizuki glanced down at Ran, nodding down at her slightly. "Call them."

"We're almost there!" Oriha exclaimed after shooting a grenade at some enemies.

Running down hall, Oriha stopped and glanced back upon seeing Arashi and Mikoto pressing their fingers to their ears.

"Understood." They responded simultaneously.

"Oriha, go on ahead." Arashi said.

"What, why?"

"Fiona-san asked us to come back." Mikoto responded. "But we'll catch up to you after we take care of whatever she needs."

"But-"

"Don't worry about us, Oriha. Just get clear, meet up with the rest and we'll see you soon." Mikoto smiled down at her, ruffling her hair.

Arashi and Mikoto ran off, leaving Oriha alone. With a determined look, she ran the other way, deciding to believe in her friends.

Arashi and Mikoto made their way through the halls, shooting down any gunsmen they saw. Ryuu ran next to Arashi, his apparition seen only by him.

"Stay alert, Arashi. There's something unusual about Ran's order. There's a high chance she may be compromised somehow."

* * *

Konomi sat in the Batcave, her head bowed. As of this moment, she felt a myriad of emotions. They ranged from grief to sadness to anger. After the family went home, she walked the streets, her eyes focused on the white smoke that filled the sky and her ears were deafened by the loud sirens that flooded streets. The police force had been severely crippled and the idea of becoming an officer now was effectively a curse, not a privilege. A tear trailed down her cheek, only for it be to quickly wiped up upon hearing the elevator come down.

Batman walked up to the computer and began typing. **"Oracle, I need you to-"**

"No..."

He glanced at her. **"What?"**

"Please, just… not right now… I-I can't right now..."

" **We don't have time for this. We need to get to work. The people who did this are still out there."**

"I know… But I… I just lost my partner, the family is a wreck and I can't..."

Batman growled, slamming his fist on the keyboard in frustration. **"We don't have time to mourn! We have to catch them before they do something else."**

"What?!" She sprang out of the chair, getting into his face with an angry. "Is that all you're focused on? The criminals? What about the lives lost and their families?"

" **Who's dead is dead. We can still save the people who are alive but I need you focused!"**

Yuu came in through the door, stopping short upon seeing them yelling.

"Are you just saying to forget about them? I just lost someone I care about. I need time to process it, to feel it! I can't just put on a mask and be inhuman like you!"

Yuu nervously stepped forward a bit. "G-guys, let's just calm down..."

" **Then maybe you're not cut out for this job."** He said coldly, turning back to the computer.

"Yeah, maybe not..." With tears in her eyes, she grabbed her jacket and walked over to the elevator. Batman paid it no mind, his thoughts solely focused on the mission. He glanced out the corner of his eye at Yuu, who was still staring at him.

" **What?"** It came out angrier than he meant it to.

Frightened, she shook her head and made her way to the elevator, far away from Batman. As she left, the lights cut out, leaving the only light in the room coming from the Bat-computer. Alone now, he put his face in his hand, a movement of exasperation, and sighed.

* * *

"Glad you could make it." The Vixen blew smoke into the air nonchalantly while Arashi and Mikoto aimed her guns at them. Paulo had his gun trained on Ran and Mochizuki.

"You're the Red Vixen!" Mikoto recognized. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I want you two. Simple as that. I don't care if I have to kill the rest of your murderous team to get to you but I will get revenge for my brother. Understand, kiddies? Surrender and I'll pull my forces out of here. If you don't, I'll have them chase your friends to the depths of hell. Which will it be?"

Arashi held up his hands, letting his gun dangle in his thumb. Realizing they had no other choice, Mikoto followed his lead.

"Good." The Vixen said with a tone of satisfaction. "Kick them over here."

Arashi and Mikoto dropped their guns and kicked it over to her.

"Now, let them go!" Mikoto demanded.

"Sure. But first, I want to-"

They were interrupted by a shot to Paulo's hand, forcing him to drop his gun. Everyone glanced up at the ceiling to see Miki in the vents, aiming a pistol at them. Taking this quick opportunity, Mikoto reached behind her back and pulled out a secondary and shot at the Vixen, who ducked out of the way and took it to the shoulder. Paulo quickly shot at Miki with his other gun while the Vixen took out a gun from her side, a submachine gun and began spraying rapid fire on Mikoto and Arashi. Arashi, acting quickly, stepped in front of the bullets and took them all in the back, shielding his partner with his own body.

"Paulo!" The Vixen exclaimed. "We're leaving!"

"Yes, mistress!"

He continued to shoot at Miki, forcing her to keep herself hidden in the ventilation shaft, her suit protecting her from getting shot. Behind Paulo, Ran tried to take the opportunity to pick up his gun but the Vixen glanced behind her and noticed her movement. Taking out a pistol, she shot Ran in the gut, causing her to collapse to the ground.

"Ran!" Mochizuki shouted.

"No!" Mikoto exclaimed.

In the vents, Miki clicked her teeth. "Damn it..."

Using the diversion, the Vixen and Paulo made their way to the elevator, keeping their shots on both Arashi and Miki. Paulo pushed the elevator button, ducking down when Miki tried to shoot at them.

" _Damn!"_ Miki thought. _"I need a better shot than this..."_

The elevator opened, the Vixen keeping her fire on Arashi as the doors closed. The Vixen sighed in relief, sliding down the wall with a cringe. Paulo knelt down next to her, concerned.

"Are you alright, mistress?"

"Have you set the explosives and evacuated the patients?"

"Yes, mistress… It's just that now, the other medical facilities throughout the city will be quite full."

"Well, that's their problem." The elevator stopped in the hospital. The Vixen and her bodyguard began running down the hall and out of the exit. Once the two got to a clear distance, Paulo pulled out a detonator and pushed the red button, blowing up the hospital and the secret hideout underneath.

* * *

Konomi walked through the streets of Tobioka City with her head bowed and a phone to her ear.

 _'I'd really appreciate it if you let me know.'_

"Of course, Mrs. Isoroku. I'll let you know if I see her."

 _'She's probably just having some trouble coping… I'm sure she'll be home tonight. If you're not too busy, it would really mean a lot to me if you came over for dinner.'_

"I'd be happy too. Mmhm. Of course… You too. Goodbye, ma'am."

Konomi stowed away her phone, stopping in front of her ruined workplace – the burnt police headquarters. Tatara had been in that building and was unfortunate enough to feel the full force of the blast. She blinked back a tear of regret. She wishes she could've saved him. He wasn't her partner long but he was dedicated to serving justice. He wanted to build a safe place for his family and despite the many temptations, he never went dirty. He stood fast, waiting for the day reform would come. The day when police would actually be pillars of justice. When that day finally came, it blew up in his face.

Konomi walked to the edge of the city, coming along the banks of the river. The sun was setting now, the orange hue of the sky reflecting off the water. Konomi spied a person sitting on the banks, looking out at the water motionlessly. It was Ayaka.

Konomi walked down the bank, coming next to the girl. "Ayaka-chan." The girl didn't respond. "Ayaka-chan!"

"Huh?" The girl looked up to see Konomi standing over her. "Oh, it's just you..."

"What are you doing out here all alone?"

"I just wanted to be alone. Is that a crime or something? Not that you could arrest me if it was… There's no place to book me..."

"Do you mind if I sit?"

"Whatever."

Konomi sat down next to her, staring out into the water. "I know how you feel-"

"You don't know anything about how I feel!" She retorted harshly. "You were just his stupid partner! You weren't his friend! You weren't his family! I don't even know why I care… I'm not even his real daughter..."

Konomi softly placed her hand on top of the girl's hand. "If he loved you, cared for you and tucked you into bed when you were small… Then he thought of you as his real daughter and he was your father."

This made the girl look deep into Konomi's eyes. Something about the girl's look unnerved her slightly but she paid it little mind and continued. "Your mother is worried about you. You're all she has left now. Without you, I don't know what she would do. You should go home now and try to take care of her."

Ayaka, still somewhat emotionless, nodded and stood up before mechanically walking off, leaving Konomi somewhat worried for her mental state.

" _If she's Tatara-san's daughter, I'm sure she'll be alright."_

* * *

" **Tell me what I want to know."  
**

"I don't know nothing, man! I don't, I swear!"

" **Wrong answer."**

"AAAAHHH! Please, please!"

" **The bombs that destroyed the police stations had to be military grade. You're in charge of importing and exporting various bombs into the city. I want to know who ordered military-grade bombs."**

"I don't know, man! We never met 'im personally! They just had us deliver to an address!"

" **Where?!"**

"Downtown, in that new hotel that was built a few months ago!"

" **Thank you."**

Batman knocked the man out with a elbow to the head and dropped him to the floor. That was the eighth man he had interrogated today. Batman had figured out that the only bombs to have caused the explosions of that scale would have to be a certain type. Using this notion, he hunted down several of the bomb dealers in town and nearly broke every bone in their body, sometimes for information and other times out of anger.

Batman swung through the city, looking down on it from above. It never looked dirtier. Batman had landed on the hotel rooftop. Tying a rope to a pipe uprooted from the building, Batman rappelled down the wall until he was at the window he wanted. He opened it and jumped in. No one was there and the place had no signs that anyone had used it.

The only thing out of the ordinary was a CD that said, "For the Batman" on it. Narrowing his eyes, Batman picked it up and inserted it into the CD player of the room and turned the TV on. On the screen was a man wearing a wolf-mask. He had a green coat with a hood over his head and gloves on his hands. He wore a bulletproof vest and black pants along with black tactical boots.

 _'Good evening. If you see this, it means you've figured out who's activated the bombings. It also means you've deduced who initiated them in the first place. Good. I'm glad you did. This would no fun otherwise. We are Syringe, harbingers of chaos. We've come destroy all that is good, including you, Batman. I am Wild Hunt, the leader of the pack. I dare you, I challenge you to find me, to end me. I dare you, harbinger of order, to face me. To pit your pack against mine. To see which is a better hunter – the bat or the wolf? We shall see who will find out whose identity first and who will win in the end. Let us spill blood on the hunting grounds.'_

Batman took out the CD and crushed it in his hand. **"You're on."**

* * *

Night had fell over the city of Tobioka. The citizens were just beginning to get over the calamity that had taken place today. Still, they slept uneasily. Konomi was currently on her way to the dinner date that she had previously been invited to. She wasn't sure how comfortable she would be going into the home of her now deceased partner but she didn't want to be impolite. She made it to the house and stopped at the steps. A bullet had sounded off, coming from the inside. Konomi pulled out her gun and ran forward, kicking the door in.

"Police!"

She moved through the hallway, coming into the kitchen, where the sight of it all made her drop her gun. She covered her mouth in shock. Lying on the floor were Ayaka and Tatara's wife. Ayaka had a gun in her hand and it was smoking, presumably from the shot she just heard. They both had bullet wounds in their head. On the wall were the words "Thank you" painted in the wife's blood. Konomi openly sobbed, collapsing to the floor. Tatara and his family had been erased from this world at the hands of their traumatized daughter, never to return.

"I'm sorry..." She said between sobs. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry..."

" **No. I'm sorry..."**

The Batman, who made a habit of appearing from the shadows, now stood in the dim kitchen light with Konomi. He knelt down and embraced her, allowing her to bury her face in his shoulder. Batman grimaced upon seeing the dead bodies and only tightened his grip on her, letting the woman know that he was there for her. She could only cry. For her partner, for his wife, for his daughter, she could only cry.

* * *

"Everything is going smoothly. I didn't expect Bats to clean up the police department so soon but it was a good thing we managed to establish the explosives on time."

"So, when do you get to cause ruckus?"

"Soon. I'm sure Black Label and the Batman are pretty livid to what we've done to their city."

"Ah, you're such a pain to work with, Kaname… I wanna hit someone."

"You will soon, Kaoru." Wild Hunt walked into the room. "The seeds have been planted. The city's psyche has been hit. Tobioka City is in disarray and the Batman has been challenged."

"Isn't sending a message to him a dangerous thing to do?" Kaoru asked. "I mean, didn't you check into the hotel with witnesses?"

"I wore a disguise so they shouldn't be able to pin me. I have no prints and there is no way to pinpoint where I recorded the message through the video. Knowing this, he probably crushed it in his hand in frustration. He knows I've won this round."

"Heh, I guess the Batman isn't as tough as I thought!"

"Don't underestimate him. He'll come back somehow. He wouldn't be a worthy opponent otherwise. We'll hunt him and his allies down during the night, preying on their bones and watching them bleed. The hunt is on."

* * *

Batman stood on a rooftop of a building that stood high above the city. On a building in front of him was a large TV that was currently broadcasting. It was press conference being made in front of the ruined police headquarters.

 _'This is an unforeseen tragedy that has crippled this city but not destroyed it. We will come back from this. Stronger, better and united. We will not let these terrorists defeat us. I, Captain Hijiri Hamasaki, swear this – we will catch the people responsible. We will hunt down the man who did this – the man known as the Batman.'_

Batman narrowed his eyes at the screen, Konomi in his arms. She wasn't asleep but was deathly quiet. He understood why but simply wanted to get her back home now. His cape fluttered in the air as he glanced up at the moon.

" _ **Wild Hunt..."**_

The man known as Wild Hunt stared up at the same moon, his own coat fluttering with the wind.

" _Batman..."_

" _ **I will hunt you down..."**_

" _And drag you into the light..."_

" _ **I will catch you…"**_

" _Using any means necessary..."_

" _ **And unmask you in front of the world..."**_

" _No matter what, I will…_

" _ **Defeat you. I will rain this city with..."**_

" _I will rain this city with..."_

" _ **Justice/** Chaos!"_


	14. Chapter 14: Playboy

_His hands were everywhere on her body, touching every pleasure spot, exploring every area. His lips were soft and kissed her neck softly. He pressed his body against her, the heat of him felt even through their suits. She moaned, her ecstatic pleasure rising with every moment. His hands glided over her body, his strong, firm hands making handles of her hips. Her leg rubbed against his, as his kisses trailed down her neck to her collarbone._

" _Oh, Batman..."_

The woman's eyes flew open as she sat up in her bed. She covered her face with her hand, panting slightly.

" _Well… that's new..."_

* * *

Bruce slept in Konomi's bed, his hair messily sprawled over the pillow. Some strands stood on their ends as he tossed and turned. Creeping into the room with a bat in her hand was Konomi, in her tanktop and panties. She raised it and then brought it down and, like a cat, Bruce awakened and rolled out of the way, all in one smooth movement. From behind the curtains, in her light green furry bra and panties, Yuu aimed her bow at Bruce's head, firing an arrow off without hesitation. The man caught it with his hand, the tip inches away from his face.

"Good." He commented. "You were faster on the draw this time, Yuu-chan. You didn't hesitate either, Konomi."

"Yeah." She replied, rather dully, putting the bat on her shoulders.

"Are you really sure we need to do something like this just for training?" Yuu asked, lowering her bow.

"Yes." Bruce replied seriously, grabbing his cup of water and drinking it. "We have not one but two enemies. Both risk corrupting the city in their own way and both used the situation to twist Tobioka to their own agenda. We need to be ready. All of us." Bruce placed his drink back on the nightstand. "Konomi, I need you to return to the Batcave and run a background check on Hijiri. The new captain of the police force is a member of Black Label. With the police at their disposal, I don't know what they would do. I need anything on him you can find."

"On it." She replied monotonously, walking out of the room. Yuu looked on with concern.

"I guess Konomi-san is still upset. She seems almost traumatized… Will she be okay?"

"She'll be fine if we give her some space." Bruce replied. "I've got to meet an associate and you've got school."

"Right." Yuu ran up to Bruce and softly kissed him on his lips before running out of the room also, leaving Bruce to get dressed.

* * *

"Lights! We need lights!"

"Alright, alright, push her in here."

"Keep her stable, damn it!"

"Stay with us, Fiona-san!"

Hitsugi and Miki rushed Ran into the sterile room of their hideout. The hideout itself was actually Oriha's large mansion, the household having various booby-traps should any intruders come by. Fiona, having been shot in the gut, was being treated by Hitsugi and Miki. Oriha turned on the lights in the room while Hitsugi tried to stop the bleeding.

"We need Yuko!" Miki exclaimed. "We can't get to the bullet in time and Mochizuki-sensei isn't well enough to perform!"

"I'll go get her!" Mikoto said, running out of the room. Resting on a bed in the guest room of Oriha's mansion was a slightly conscious Yuko. Due to the special medicine Miki had developed, Yuko's injuries were nearly healed. The flesh on her scalp had returned, her toenails were almost completely regrown and the burn mark on her side had almost disappeared. The drug no longer affected her but it still left slight mental scars and she could now walk without tipping over. Her senses were still off and, as a side effect from the medicine, her body was massively sore. So, when Mikoto burst into the room and told Yuko that Ran had been shot and needed her help, her body didn't take kindly to her running down the halls of the mansion to Ran's aid.

After sterilizing herself, she rushed in with gloves and a mask, coming up to the bed where Ran had been opened up and ready to be operated on.

"Yuko, she's been put under but if she stays that way too long, she may just die. We can't get to this bullet and only you can save her in time."

"Alright." She said, her voice slightly unsteady.

"But Yuko," Miki grabbed her friend's arm. "Are you up for this?"

Yuko held out her hand. "Scalpel." Hitsugi handed her the tool. Yuko glanced at the X-ray screen and, using it as a reference, began to cut. Despite not having done this in a while, she was still the number one surgeon in Japan. She eventually found the foreign object but her mind hazed out and she ended up nicking the bowel. "Damn it..." She scowled. "Hitsugi."

"Aye, aye." Hitsugi clamped down on the wound, preventing too much blood from leaking.

Miki looked on, keeping watch over Ran's sedation. _"Come on, Yuko..."_

" _Right now, getting this bullet is priority. I'll attend to the bowel after this."_ Yuko held out her hand and Miki handed her a pair of forceps. Yuko tried to carefully get to the bullet but her hand shook slightly. She forced herself to focus, the intensity of it seen by the veins popping in her head. _"Focus… Focus!"_

She breathed and grabbed the bullet, carefully extracting it from Ran's stomach. She placed it on a tray and sighed in relief, Hitsugi and Miki smiling with her. "Alright… Now for the bowel."

* * *

"And I was beginning to think you wouldn't show." Sitting in the restaurant booth of Monte Carlo SS was Rouga, dressed casually in a white coat and beige sweater with light brown pants. He wore black boots.

"Sorry. I've been a bit… preoccupied with things."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. That terrorist attack on the police stations scared the crap out of me. I didn't even want to leave home today."

"We could've done this over the phone then." Bruce replied, sitting down.

"Nah. I want to co-start a business that would show the people of this city there aren't monsters who'll just bow down to corruption."

"Hm. How passionate. You remind me of someone. He's passionate about justice too."

"Ah, perhaps we would get along."

"You probably would. To be frank, I could almost imagine you pulling out a quarter to tip the waitress with."

"A quarter?"

"He has a thing for American quarters."

"Well, Komori-san, I hope it doesn't make matters awkward but I'd rather be upfront about the fact that I have done a background check on you. I am a businessman, first and foremost, after all, and when I make investments, I want to be sure of them."

"Fair enough." Bruce replied nonchalantly, sipping a cup of tea he ordered.

"I wanted to put this out in the open so we could build a strong foundation, without any secrets."

"I understand that. So, did I check out?"

"Born in New Jersey, America. Moved to Japan one year later. Parents deceased. 26-years old, graduating from one of the prestigious colleges in Japan and no criminal record to boot. You check out nicely, Komori-san."

"Well, that's good to know. I suppose I should be honest in turn about the fact that I, too, have done some investigating on you. I would be lying if I didn't say I suspected the businessman who showed interest in my venture."

Rouga smiled in amusement, resting his cheek on his knuckles. "Well, don't keep me in suspense. What did you learn?"

"Born in Bangladesh. Moved to Japan at the age of six. Father is deceased, mother lives in India. Graduated from Tobioka University with honors and have since been making a name for yourself in the city. You're impressive, Rouga."

"So, does that mean our partnership is set?"

Bruce grinned. "I think it is. I've already rented out a place where we can set up and have organized the first cooperation venture with another company."

"Which one?"

"Aranami Construction Company. They're being hired to rebuild the police stations."

"Ah, I don't know about them. Haven't they been suspected to being involved in several scandals lately?"

"They have but, unfortunately, there is no other company willing to reconstruct the buildings at the prices the police have set. They have also been said to have the fastest workforce. A bunch of underpaid workers forced to build overtime."

"Alright. When you put it like that, it seems like we've got no choice. So? What will we be contributing to them?"

"They have several automatic machines that run on a computer server. They need several patches to their software systems and they'd like us to develop it."

"Strange that such a 'prestigious' company would trust a newly born company with a project like that."

"They probably think that it will help their image, giving a new company the chance to grow big."

"Heh, so it just makes them all the more suspicious, eh?"

"Exactly."

"Well, in any case, I look forward to working with you, Ryu-kun." With a wide, illuminating toothy grin, Rouga held out his hand. Bruce offered a small smile in return, shaking his hand.

"Yes. It should be fun, Rouga."

* * *

Yuko walked out of the room, tossing her bloody gloves into the trash. Mochizuki was sitting in the hallway, his head bowed solemnly. Yuko felt sympathy for him. Without Ran, he seemed rather lost and alone. She walked up to him and softly placed her hand on his shoulder for comfort.

"She's alright." She informed him. "She's unconscious now but she'll wake up. Eventually."

Mochizuki nodded slightly. "I'm in your debt."

"We all owe Ran. Each and every one of us. Without here, our missions would have been without light."

"That woman… the woman dressed in red, the Red Vixen… She will pay. It seems now, we are war with multiple enemies."

"With Hijiri at the head of the police force, we have a powerful asset at our disposal."

"I ordered him to throw a social banquet downtown. I wanted him to show the people that we are not afraid of this unknown disease that plagues our city. I want it to be a symbol."

"How nice. I think I will be participating."

"Why?"

" _He's_ sure to be there." She replied as she walked away.

* * *

Bruce walked down the street, his hands in his pocket. He stopped short upon seeing a woman leaning up against a wall, wearing red shades.

"What do you want?"

"I have a little problem. I think I may have bit off more than I could chew the other day." Nao Sakurada took off her sunglasses, folding them in her hands. Underneath, were clear glasses which emphasized her eyes.

"You mean when you blew up Mochizuki General Hospital on a vendetta to kill your two students?"

"Well, talk about putting a bad spin on it." Bruce continued walking, Nao walking alongside him. The two looked like a couple with Nao catching the eyes of the men and Bruce catching the eyes of the women.

"And how would you put it?"

"Look," She stepped in front of him. "It's only a matter of time before they put the pieces together and start hunting me down. I took a huge gamble on going after those two and it didn't pay off. I need-"

"-to ally with a group who can keep you safe until the heat is off? Forget it." Bruce brushed past her, but was stopped upon him grabbing her arm.

"I'm not asking to join your little crusade. We'll still be strictly professional. In return for your sheltering me, my services will be free. I have a vast network of people all around the world, in every organization. I can pull files, top secret or no, for any use. I just… don't want to die. Not yet."

Bruce paused, thinking upon this. _"This woman is a wildcard. She follows her own agenda and has taken survival as her top priority. She already knows who I am and where I operate and through careful means of association, she could probably find out my allies. The safest place to have her is where I can control her – right under my own roof."_

Bruce glanced over his shoulder. "Fine."

Her eyes brightened slightly especially when Bruce grabbed her hand. "But on a few conditions: You will not kill. Meaning you will stop pursuing Arashi and Mikoto for the time you are protected by me. You will not do anything that will put my identity at risk and you will do nothing unnecessary and only what I order you to do." Her eyes dimmed when his grip tightened. "Just to be clear, I don't trust you. I simply need to know where you are at all times. And if you even think about betraying me..." He got in close, glaring at her. "I _will_ take you **down."**

Nao only nodded, a slight shiver running down her spine.

* * *

Yuu walked into the main room of the Batcave, coming behind the chair where Konomi sat. She was typing speedily, the screen flipping from one subject to another. Yuu glanced to the food she had given to Konomi several hours ago. It was untouched and cold.

"Um… Konomi-san?" She asked carefully.

"What?" She replied emotionlessly. Her monotone voice echoed through room and its lack of vigor made Yuu nervous.

"You… you should really eat something." She advised gently.

"I'm fine." Konomi continued typing, searching through various files about Hijiri.

"You really shouldn't push yourself so hard..."

"I'm fine." Her tone never changed, always remaining low and robotic.

Yuu crossed her arms and furrowed her brow. She knew why Konomi was doing this, had heard it from Bruce. Yuu sighed, scratching her head.

"Listen… Konomi-san… You should know… It's-It's not your fault what-"

"Don't." Konomi replied evenly, still not turning around but no longer typing. "Please..." She said a bit more softly. "Just don't..."

The two were interrupted by the lowering of the elevator to the Batcave. Stepping off the platform was Bruce and Nao. She smirked upon seeing the place.

"Nice setup. A guy like you, I would've expected it to be more grim."

Konomi and Yuu spun around, Konomi holding a gun and Yuu aiming her bow at the intruder.

"Lower your weapons." Bruce commanded. Konomi lowered her gun, but still kept her eye on the woman. Yuu's bow, however, remained trained on her.

"Who is she?" Yuu demanded.

"Lower the bow, Hunter."

She complied, reluctantly so.

"She's neither a friend nor foe. Just an acquaintance we're going to make use of for awhile."

"Well, that sounded rather dirty." Nao commented. It was ignored by everyone.

Bruce strode over to Konomi. "What do you got?"

She turned back to the computer, bringing up the screen. "I've found several scattered facts about him, but nothing substantial. It seems that Winchester was careful in keeping his information suppressed as well."

"Oh, you're trying to find out about the police captain, hm?" Nao took out her phone, calling a number. She put the phone on speaker and held her phone out. "Paulo, get me any information you can collect on Hijiri Hamasaki."

 _'Yes, mistress.'_ Several minutes of silence was observed before his voice was heard again. _'Hijiri Hamasaki, born in Tobioka City. Age – 25, birthday July 9th. Joined the police force over 5 years ago after graduating medical school a year earlier. Known classmate – Miki Tsurugi.'_

Nao's lips contorted in a Cheshire grin. "I believe that may be of some use to you, no?"

"Give me the name of the school they attended."

 _'One of the first schools Masamune Mochizuki established – Mochizuki University School of Medicine & Health.'_

Konomi typed the name into the computer but nothing came up.

"Hmm? It's not in the database?" Yuu questioned, puzzled.

 _'The school itself was established in the States but was eventually shut down for some unknown reason. There are no more known details about the matter.'_

Bruce narrowed his eyes. _"Why would they take it down? If it was a facility where they could train 'doctors' to assassinate criminals, then surely it would be beneficial… Unless…"_

"Was Mochizuki the sole owner of that university?"

 _'No. There was another. The database however, does not list the name.'_

" _As I thought. There was someone else and they are the reason why the university no longer stands…"_

"You did good, Paulo. That will be all."

 _'Yes, mistress.'_

She hung up the phone, stowing it away. "Well, there you have it."

Bruce turned around, facing her now. "Alright. It seems you will be an asset, after all. The playing field is leveled. We've figured out each other's identities and now, are aware of our base of operations."

"Hmph!" Nao smirked. "Knowing you, you have several other bases in the city in case this one is compromised, correct? I'm the same way. In the end, you and I know nothing about each other and I'm quite fine with that."

Bruce looked over his shoulder at Yuu and Konomi. "Hunter, Oracle, we'll be protecting this woman… for a time. She'll be an asset against our enemies. I want no animosity towards her."

"Understood." Konomi replied uncaringly.

Still reluctant, Yuu nodded nonetheless.

"Good to hear." Nao said.

"You're going to do one more thing for me."

"What's that?" Nao took out her pipe and lit it.

Bruce walked over to the computer and punched in a few keys. "You and Hunter will accompany me to the annual social ball this evening, hosted by the police captain himself. I'm sure members of Black Label will be there and I want them to see me with a couple of girls on my arm."

* * *

Mochizuki rolled into the guest room of Oriha's mansion, Ran's resting in the bed. IV was dripping into her arm and she was breathing softly. Mochizuki tenderly looked at her pale face and softly took ahold of her hand.

"I'm sorry, Ran… I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. When I saw you get shot, it was as if my world froze and shattered, like a broken mirror… I want to clean up this city, make it healthy and free of disease but I can't do it… without you at my side…" A tear trickled down his face and fell onto her hand.

His eyes widened when her hand moved up and wiped the tear from his eye. He looked up to see her smiling at him softly. That smile made his heart warm. It sometimes made him feel as if a disease wasn't ravaging his body right now.

"It must be raining… in here..." She said softly and weakly.

"Ran, I-"

"Shh… I know. I know."

Her smile made him smile in return, their emotional connection observe by Oriha, who was peeking through the doors, taking flashless pictures with her phone.

* * *

Strong cultural music, prestigiously dressed people and several vigilantes were in the room that evening. People had come from their flats in the sky to dance in the city below. The rich and fortunate of the city, in all honesty, cared very little for the poor and the city itself. They just see a thing that could be used, that could be squeezed of its life over and over again until the profit was no longer apparent. They were disgusting, each and every one of them.

" _Just like in Gotham..."_ Bruce strode through the entrance door, two ladies on his arm. They wore black dresses, and had black heels. They smiled at the guard who let them in. Nao and Yuu, dressed up and fancy-looking, followed Bruce as he practically glided through the room. He moved as if he owned the room, as if he were trained to belong there. He walked to a table, pulling the seat up for both of them. Yuu sat to his right and Nao sat to his left. Bruce fixed his shirt cuff, attracting the attention of several ladies, some who even had dates on their arms.

"How extravagant." Nao commented, ordering a drink.

"I feel kind of out place..." Yuu commented, hugging her arms.

"Relax, Hunter." Bruce comforted her, rubbing her thigh softly. "You'll be fine." He glanced around the room, finding the targets he searched for. Sitting at the bar, staring right at him with a knowing smirk on her face, was Yuko, healed and well along with Hitsugi and Mikoto. Yuko wore a sultry, low-cut dress that made all the heads roll. The bartender seemed rather keen on getting her drunk. Hitsugi enjoyed the olives, licking it sensually with her tongue before swallowing it whole. She wore a black dress that was similar to Yuko's. Mikoto sat there rather stiff, a blush on her face. She wore a nice silver dress, matching her hair.

Bruce smiled to himself. _"Good. They've seen me, Hunter and Vixen. The timing was ripe as well. This should keep Oracle and everyone here safe from Mochizuki."_

"Stay here." He told them. "I'm going to go mingle."

Bruce walked over to the bar just as the music slowed to something comfortable. Yuko watched his actions with interest, observing him as he stood next to Mikoto.

"Excuse me, miss," Mikoto whirled around to see, with some surprise, that Bruce was the one who addressed her. "Would you like to dance?"

Mikoto, too shocked by the approach to answer, glanced at Yuko, who simply nodded. Mikoto, though immensely reluctant, obeyed by holding her hand out. Smiling, Bruce took it and led her to the dance floor. Mikoto uncomfortably held her hand in his and placed her other hand on his shoulder as Bruce led the dance.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Mikoto hissed under her breath.

"Enjoying myself. You?" He replied cheekily, spinning her around.

"Bullshit. What do you gain by doing this?"

He leaned in close to her ear, his warm breath tickling her neck. The crimson on her cheeks got brighter. "Pleasure..." He sensually whispered.

Her eyes widened but she didn't stop dancing and they continued moving in unison. The longer the dance continued, the less uncomfortable Mikoto became. There was even a point where she had to resist smiling, resist admitting that she was sort of enjoying herself.

" _What the fuck is with this asshole?"_ She thought to herself. _"Why is he fucking dancing with me, when he knows I would stab him in his neck if I got the chance? And why, oh why, am I so goddamn sad this dance is over?!"_

The dance ended, the participants clapping. Bruce leaned and kissed the girl on the cheek, making her blush. She didn't protest, however.

"Thank you for such a wonderful time." Bruce strode off, leaving Mikoto to faintly touch her cheek. Bruce walked back over to the bar, stopping in front of Hitsugi. She downed her drink before glancing over her shoulder, licking her lips upon seeing him.

"So, I guess it's my turn?"

Bruce held out his hand, leading Hitsugi to the dance floor for yet another song. Hitsugi pressed herself against his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck. He placed his hands on her hips and they began circling around the room. No one paid particular attention to them, as they stood out just as much as anyone else.

"I know what you want to ask." He whispered as they danced.

"Don't get cheeky just 'cuz you think you have some leverage over me… I've heard that name before. Who _is_ he?"

Bruce reached down and grabbed her rear, making sure it could be seen from the windows above. "He's your father."

She gasped, the timing of it seeming like it was coming from his advances. He pressed her into his chest as people took notice of her reaction and his hand location. He moved it back to the small of her back, taking notice of her shocked expression.

"My… father?"

"It seems you have something about your past that you don't know about. It's a shame…" The clapping began as the song ended. Bruce began to walk away. "That I can't tell you more."

Yuko stood up and began walking through the crowd, moving until she made it to the empty hallway of the building. It was dark and the only light came from outside. She leaned against the wall and sighed.

"Don't want to dance?"

"My toes hurt."

"Too bad. I was saving you for last."

"Shame. Maybe next time." She glanced to her right to see Bruce walk over to her, stopping when he was in front of her, leaning against the wall opposite to hers. "You're quite formidable. I didn't think you would go that far, put on such a sexual charade, to protect your allies but I suppose that's just me underestimating you again."

Bruce feigned ignorance. "Whatever do you mean?"

"You came here, knowing we'd be here to protect Hijiri and the people here. You also knew we had people stationed outside. You wanted us to see you with those two, wanted to dance with us so it would seem that you had no real attachments. That you associated with Konomi Suzue through mere whim of the flesh… A clever idea. You waited until it was long enough where it wouldn't seem like you were doing that."

Bruce smirked. "You seem quite attuned to what I think."

"It's only because I might have done the same thing in your shoes."

"So, are you going to warn him?"

She shook her head. "Not this time. I do owe you a debt and this is my way of repaying it. To keep your allies safe, I won't let our leader know the reasoning behind your actions. He should probably be confused and won't go after any of the women you associate with from now on."

"That's not the only reason you won't tell on me."

"Oh?"

He stood up from the wall, walking closer to her. "You want me to win – a part of you does, anyway. You've been questioning what your 'leader' has been doing, what his true motives may be. Something tells me you were the only one he told this plan to and you didn't like it. You didn't like the idea of going after my allies."

She chuckled lightly. "Yes… I'll admit... part of me sees what you are fighting for, what you are striving for. That part is helping you right now. However, my first alliance is with the Doctor and I _won't_ betray him. Whatever I feel for you, it won't change the fact that we are enemies. That the next time we meet, I will excise you, quickly and painlessly." She stood up, placing her hand softly on the side of his face. He leaned down and she softly kissed him, her lips embracing his fully. Their senses danced to a pleasurable tune as the mild kiss became more and more passionate. Her large bust came in contact with his chest and her leg settled between his legs, her thigh brushing against his nether regions. They parted, the moistness remaining on their lips. "Let that kiss seal our rift as enemies."

Bruce looked into her eyes, her determination to follow through with her own mission shining through with resolve. The silence was only broken with the loud pattering of the rain outside. "I see..." Bruce finally said. "Very well. When we meet next, we'll be on opposing sides."

He turned and began walking back to the ball. He stopped mid-way and without turning, said softly, "I'm glad to see you're okay, Yuko." With that, he walked through the door, leaving the pattering of the rain to her ears only.

Bruce came back into the room just as Hijiri stood at the pandemonium and prepared to give a speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you for coming here tonight. I want to thank the brave citizens of Tobioka City for showing the terrorists who cost the lives of so many officers tonight. The officers who swore to defend this city when it was swimming in corruption. They died at the hands of a man who believes himself to be above the law, above everyone, above you and me… the Batman murdered our police officers, masqueraded as some guardian angel only to reveal himself as a Devil in the city's few moments in the light. I swear on my oath as an officer of the law, I will catch the Batman and see him sentenced for his crimes myself. So, if you could join me in raising our glasses..." He raised his glass, the participants following in turn. "To the fallen."

"To the fallen." Came the repeat.

Bruce glared at the man briefly before turning to leave. As he was walking back to his table, he bumped into someone.

"Hey, Ryu-san!" Rouga smiled upon seeing who he bumped into.

"Rouga? Ah, glad to see you could make it. Enjoying yourself?"

"Absolutely." He motioned to his date, who stepped forward with a slight bow. She was blond and wore a black dress. She had enchanting purple eyes that had a ring around the iris. Bruce returned the gesture. "This is my date for the evening, Neko Ageha. Neko-chan, this is my business partner, Ryu Komori."

"A pleasure to meet you, Komori-san."

"Likewise, Ageha-san." Bruce noticed something on her neck. _"Its slightly darker than the rest of her skin…. Make up? Why is there make up on her neck?"_

Deciding not to ponder on it further, he bid farewell to Rouga and his date and continued on his way, not noticing Neko glance at him with a feral smirk and lick of her lips.

High above the city, on a rooftop overlooking the building of the ball, Oriha and Miki watched as Bruce exited the ball with his two dates.

"Oh, he's leaving." When Oriha got no reply, she glanced over at Miki who seemed rather glossed over. "Miki-chin?"

"Oh, sorry, Oriha… I was just… remembering a dream I had earlier..."

* * *

Konomi sat dully in front of the computer screen in the dark, not noticing when a cup of water was placed in front of her. She hadn't moved for the last thirty minutes and her memory continued to reply the deaths of Isoroku family and fellow police officers, friends and mentors she had grown to know, over and over. Bruce turned on the Batcave lights and shut off the computer screen, the motion eliciting no reaction from her.

"Konomi." No response. Bruce leaned down and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Konomi!"

This seemed to grab her attention as she finally took notice of his presence. "Yes…?"

He exhaled softly, kneeling down to eye level. "I wanted to give you some space, figuring that was the best thing to do. But Yuu was right. You're traumatized."

"I'm not-"

"You are." He insisted. "Trust me, I know a thing or two about it. About how it feels to be the survivor, wallowing in the deaths of those you cared about. I want to help you. I _can_ help you. Just let me."

The sincerity in his voice broke through and the entire day's worth of indifference and lack of motion shut down and brought forth a flood of hot tears. "Oh, God, it's my fault… If I hadn't tried to comfort her… If I had done more to help my partner… If I just… If I..." She choked, unable to finish her words. He embraced her quickly, giving her a shoulder to cry on. He shushed her softly, comforting her with sweet words and small motions on her back.

"I'm here, Konomi. I'm here..." He reminded her gently.

She only cried.

* * *

Mochizuki stared out the window of Ran's room, a phone to his ear.

"I see… He came to the party with several women..." He smirked. "An impressive move. Yes… I understand. Thank you, Yuko." He shut off the phone.

"What's the news?" Ran asked softly.

"The Batman appeared at the ball in his human guise with several women on his arm. He flirted with several more, dancing with Mikoto and Hitsugi. This was his manner of thinking in making this move… He wanted us to see him with different women. He wanted us to know that he called my bluff and that even if I did capture Konomi and kill her, there would be no reason to suspect that she had a personal relationship to him. He used this method to tell me that he had no special attachments to any women he associated with, dancing with our members to demonstrate this and to solidify a 'playboy' image. If I capture Konomi now and she proves to be just one of his flings, I'll be no more than a criminal instead of one who's attacking a fellow soldier. I'll violate a code he knows I've established and become completely indistinguishable from the disease itself. So long as he associates himself with multiple women, never showing a particular attachment to one, I can't touch him. There would be no point… after all, to a 'playboy' women are just things."

"So, what will you do?"

"The Aranami Construction company is in the running for rebuilding the destroyed construction companies. Which reminds me, I'll have to make sure to have our own agencies reestablish our hospital. I can't have anyone except our own people handling that."

"Agreed..."

"Aranami is said to hold a massive amount of private funds, information which is spreading throughout the underworld. The shadow which destroyed the police stations will show itself again to claim it and the Batman will be sure to chase them. We'll have to secure it first, before either of them. I trust only myself with that money. We'll use the police to keep him at bay when needed. We'll excise him from this city no matter what!"

* * *

"Ah, what a speech the captain gave! So boring..."

"What's with people and speeches, anyway? I can't be bothered."

"Hunt went there, right? To the party?"

"Yeah. Got first view of the speech. Brought a date. Was kinda cute. Oh, and I also got some orders from the princess."

"Hime-sama? What does she want us to do?"

"She doesn't like that Hunt has started a war with Batman so she hired somebody to find out his identity."

"Who?"

"The one known as the world's greatest detective – Benzaiten."


	15. Chapter 15: Benzaiten

"Benzaiten?!" Kaori and Kaoru simultaneously exclaimed.

D, who was leaning against the wall, chuckled. "The person who is known for solving impossible global cases, finding terrorists through deductive analysis and is generally regarded as the ace in the hole for the governments of the world. No one even knows if it's a man or a woman. The princess thinks he would work for us?"

"No." Kaname replied. "But she thinks if we indirectly contact Benzaiten using a fake alias and a fake motive, we may be able to convince him to go after the Batman. He's been declared a public menace, after all."

"There's a high chance Benzaiten will just see right through it, isn't there?" D questioned.

"About 85%, yeah. But still… What's life without risks?"

* * *

Bruce and Rouga walked through the doors of the Aranami Construction company building, a decently sized structure among the city. They took the elevator, though Bruce secretly wanted to take the stairs. Good exercise, after all.

Rouga shook his head quickly back and forth, exhaling loudly. "Damn, I'm a bit nervous, I've got to admit. I've been to a hundred meetings but never to one that so crucially depended on my company's success."

"Relax, Rouga." Bruce calmly fixed his tie. "We go in, pitch the specs, then get out. Simple."

"Yeah… simple..."

The elevator doors opened and the two sharply dressed men stepped out. The man who they sought was standing in the hallway talking to his assistant. Hideo Aranami, a bald, obese man took notice of them.

"Gentlemen!" He greeted gruffly. "Good to see you have come."

"Aranami-san." They shook hands.

"And this is my assistant, Jin Masaki." The man bowed graciously. "Shall we talk, then?"

Rouga and Bruce glanced at each other before turning back to him, nodding.

* * *

Yuu jumped over the small block, grabbing onto a railing and pulling herself up. She jumped onto the railing parallel to it before launching herself to another one. She dove the floor, recovering with a smooth front roll. She took out a stopwatch and checked her time.

"Aww… Still 2 minutes, 50 seconds..." Yuu was currently practicing basic parkour moves she had learned from Bruce. She was at the park, training herself. She stowed away her watch, pausing upon hearing sniffles nearby. Rushing down the stairs, she saw her classmate sitting against the wall, crying. Upon noticing her, the girl wiped her eyes and looked away.

"Emi?"

*Emi Kazuma was a fellow schoolgirl at Mochizuki High. She had brown hair that parted on the right side and her left bang went a bit longer down her cheek. Her hair was long enough to reach mid-back and her eyes were brown. A part of her hair was also braided to wrap around the back of her head, and her bust was as large as Yuu's. She wore a casual hoodie and skirt with brown boots. She was sitting up against the wall, hugging her knees. Her nose and eyes were red, evidence of tears.

"What are you doing here?"

"..."

"Are you alright?"

Yuu sat down next to her. Emi maintained her sight on the ground, sniffling.

"Hey," Yuu beckoned softy. "You can talk to me. We're friends, right?"

Several tears trailed down her face. "My… my parents…" She stuttered out. "They're dead..."

Yuu's eyes widened upon hearing this. "Wha-what? How?"

"They were working that day… when the stations blew up… the doctors said they burned to death… There was nothing anyone could do… They were one of the good ones, you know… one of the ones who believed in true justice, who hated carrying guns but did so with pride… Then, the freakin' Batman blew them to hell… I hate that bastard… I hate him so much! I want to kill him so bad, I want him to pay! I want to make him suffer! He's no hero!"

Yuu uncomfortably wrapped her arm around her friend, pulling her in for a hug. Emi cried softly, her shoulders shaking with each sob. Yuu felt bad for her but knew she was misguided. She only hoped she could help her friend through this.

* * *

Yuko stood on Oriha's balcony, staring out at the forest below. Her mansion itself was several miles off from the city but was hidden well behind the trees. It had its own generator and several rooms, a secret armory and a garage chock full of vehicles.

The surgeon/swordsman watched the birds flutter, the squirrels scurry and the leaves fly. A kind wind blew, her hair flowing in its rhythm. It felt peaceful.

"Is something wrong, Hitsugi?"

The blue-haired nurse stood inside the room, a few feet from Yuko. Sayo glanced down, holding arm. Though she wasn't facing her, Yuko could read Sayo's body language like a book. She was nervous about something, hesitant to speak about it but still approached Yuko nonetheless. Yuko casually glanced over her shoulder.

"Hitsugi?" She asked again.

"S…Sensei? Do-do you know anyone named… Itaru Togo?"

The name made Yuko pause for a split second, something Sayo didn't fail to notice, and turned around fully.

"Hitsugi. Where did you hear that name?"

"From the Batman."

Yuko sighed. _"Of course that man would_ _know_ _that much… Attempting to sow the seeds of distrust amongst us…"_

"I heard that he was my father… if that's the case, then why can't I remember him? Was he ever around? Who was he?"

" _This is a crucial time for Black Label's infrastructure. We can't have our operatives being at anything less than one hundred percent… But she's not ready for the truth. Her mental psyche is still fragile… I need to protect her from the memories… Even if it means lying to her."_

"Itaru Togo was a monster who experimented on you and transformed you into what you are. We don't know who he was or why he did what he did. He escaped and still travels the world today. We haven't been able to find him since. He's not your father… Don't trust what the Batman says. His main goal is to take us down due to our differing ideologies. We need to help make Mochizuki's dream of a disease free city come true."

"Right..." Though she still sounded uncertain, Sayo thanked her and left. She walked down the halls of the house, contemplating the terrible nightmare she always had. A bloody and terrible dream. _"Itaru Togo… Who are you?!"_

* * *

"What brilliant minds!" Aranami, Bruce and Rouga walked out of the meeting room with Jin in tow. "I can safely say I would want you two for the job. Your software patches could really do wonders for us."

"That's great to hear!" Rouga exclaimed, excited despite himself.

Bruce maintained a business visage, smiling only when necessary and speaking only when needed. He let Rouga exhibit the charisma while Bruce examined Aranami's behavior.

" _He shows all the signs of a gangster… gruff, assertive, vague mention of deals and morbid obesity… His breath even stinks of alcohol and you could see faint kiss marks on his neck. Probably from prostitutes… I actually almost pity them."_

"I'll have my executive director supervise the project with you two. I look forward to the results."

"Thank you, Aranami-dono." Rouga respectfully shook his hand, Bruce doing the same.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have lunch with my son." Aranami and Jin walked off. Bruce's stare lingered on them for a few seconds before making his way to the elevator along with Rouga.

"Well, that was more successful than originally suspected."

"It was. Listen, I have an appointment I need to go keep but I'll make sure to be around when the director comes. Can you prepare the software yourself in the meantime?"

"Sure, no problem." Rouga nodded.

* * *

After training in the park, watching her brothers, comforting her friend and convincing her to go to school, Yuu finished her lunch hour by putting her school uniform back on. She walked the halls to class but slowed her pace upon seeing who was coming her way – Mikoto Kiba. At school, she passed herself off as a rich girl but from Konomi's files in the Batcomputer, she learned the truth. She's the daughter of a crime family and now, she kills criminals for a hobby. At one time, Yuu actually respected Mikoto but seeing her now just made her sick.

Mikoto, oblivious to Yuu's thoughts, waved to her with a polite smile. Yuu put on a fake smile and weakly waved back.

"Momokino-san, nice to see you. How have you been?"

"I've been doing well."

"I saw you at the ball yesterday. Did you have fun?"

"Uh, yes, actually, I was. I was with a date."

"Oh, okay. That sounded fun. I was just dragged there by my seniors but..." A light pink tinge hit her cheeks. "I ended up enjoying myself a little bit, too." Mikoto was taken aback when she saw Yuu give her a nasty, almost jealous glare. "Is-is something wrong?"

Yuu cleared her throat. "No, nothing. I'm glad you had fun. See you around, Kiba-senpai." She replied curtly before brushing past her and walking off. Mikoto glanced back at her in bewilderment.

" _The fuck is her problem?"_ Deciding to cast Yuu's demeanor aside, Mikoto continued her way down the hall to class, her memories of last night now replaying in her head. _"Speaking of last night, what the fuck was that shithead doing, anyway? Asking me and Hitsugi-nee-san to dance..."_ She reached up and lightly touched her cheek. _"His lips were pretty soft, though..."_

* * *

Konomi sat at the computer, Bruce at her side. He had just taken her out for lunch, helped her with going back into the world again. It was weird going to the restaurant Tatara and her used to go after cases again but it helped. Konomi smiled to herself. She felt lucky to have Bruce by her side. She wasn't afraid to admit that she wanted it to remain that way, that she hoped it would remain that way. Nao came in, licking a lollipop. Bruce took notice of this, glaring at the candy.

"Where did you get that?" He asked coarsely.

She took it out of her mouth, the candy making a resounding 'pop' as she did. "I got it from the girl. I asked her to get me one." She put it back in her mouth and crunched it.

Bruce walked around Konomi's chair, up to Nao. "Listen and listen good, because I won't feel like repeating myself, I don't want you asking my operatives to do anything for you. I don't want you to manipulate them and I don't even want you interacting them. I don't trust you around anyone but me."

She tossed the wet side of the lollipop stick to his forehead, the object attaching itself to his forehead, angering him even further. "Communication is an important part of survival. If I need to eat, who do I go to get it for me? I can't leave and I doubt you'd be okay with Paulo coming here. If I want something, I need to talk to them, dumbass."

Bruce ripped the stick off, throwing it to the floor. "Watch your mouth, Vixen. It wouldn't be that hard to throw you out."

"Don't kid yourself." She spoke confidently now, shifting her weight to her left leg. "You may act like a badass but in truth, you're a boyscout through and through. You can't turn somebody to the dogs even if they were a vile serial killer."

Bruce's frown transformed into a hard, deathly glare just as Nao's smirk became a cheeky grin. As the atmosphere became more and more tense, Konomi stepped in the middle and split the two apart.

"Alright, enough!" Konomi placed her hands on her hips, sighing as she glanced between Bruce and Nao. Just before she could scold them like a parent would a child, Nao's phone began to ring. Nao reached into her cleavage and pulled out her phone, her eyes widening ever so slightly. Taking immediate notice of this, Bruce said, "Put the phone on speaker."

Nao sighed in exasperation but complied after answering it. "It's been a long time... Benzaiten."

 _'Red Vixen,'_ Came the disguised voice on the other side of the line. _'I have need of your services.'_

Bruce narrowed his eyes. _"Benzaiten?"_

"Oh? What do you need this time?"

 _'I've been tasked with finding the identity of the man accused of the police stations explosions – the Batman.'_

Nao paused and, along with Konomi, glanced up at Bruce, who maintained his calm.

" _This person is trying to find my identity... I need to know who they are and why they were sent after me."_

He silently beckoned Konomi to the computer, indicating he wanted her to trace the call. While she did this, he turned his attention back to the caller.

"That's a pretty big assignment..."

 _'Vixen...'_

"Hm?"

 _'Am I on speaker?'_

"Why would you think that?"

A chuckle was heard on the other line. Bruce suspiciously glanced at the phone. _"Why is he laughing?"_

 _'You've never put me on speaker before... However, as soon as I mention the name of the Batman, this time, my voice is for everyone's ears. Should I assume that the Batman is in the room and that you're compromised somehow?'_

Konomi sat at the computer, typing in the various commands to trace the call. _"Damn, this guy is good..."_

After a moment, Benzaiten spoke again. _'You are there, aren't you? The vengeful Batman... Nice to meet you. I am Benzaiten and I have been assigned for your capture. I can assume since you know my motives, you are also trying to find out my location. Don't bother. I don't use the Vixen's special phones but_ _am_ _logged to her network through a different method. Even with your technology, it would take weeks to find me.'_

Konomi glanced at Bruce, who was fixated on the phone. He was staring at it intently, listening to every word with careful measure. It was almost as if he was trying to deduce who the person is right now.

 _'Because of the Vixen's phone, I can't simply trace the call back to you either, but I guess it makes it more interesting this way. I look forward to meeting you soon, Batman.'_

The phone was hung up and Konomi sighed, the tension of it all being released in her breath.

"Who was that?" Bruce questioned the Vixen.

"Benzaiten – an infrequent but high-paying customer. This person has been hired by various police organizations, world governments and such. I've never met him or her and have never been able to track them down. The only things I know is that the rumors have Benzaiten pinned as the 'World's Greatest Detective'."

"Not for long." His eyes narrowed as his thoughts focused. _"From that call, I can deduce several things... This person is a private, highly value, P.I. They're wealthy enough to afford technology we can't hack or trace but not wealthy enough to trace Vixen's private cell. This means they're not_ _billionaires_ _or anything extravagant. There are only two groups with any remote interest of hiring a P.I. to find me... The Yakuza or Syringe. The Yakuza could've done it but with the police stations gone, I imagine one of their primary amounts of interest is to figure out a way to restore influence and structure. Tradition is important, even to the Yakuza. Syringe has the most to gain from finding me... This doesn't seem like something Hunt would do and, judging by Syringe's recent string of actions, Benzaiten is not a part of their group. Only Syringe makes sense but I doubt Hunt ordered this... It's not something he would do..."_

"What does Benzaiten call you for?" He asked Nao.

"Usually? Just people to track his suspected targets."

" _I thought so... This person is a work behind the scenes type person. However, the only way to get to me truly is by stepping out of the shadows and examining my actions closer. Nao won't be able to help with that so Benzaiten may go to someone else... No, if Nao is his most trusted information broker and manpower supplier than he might not trust anyone else... He may come out here himself. I need to find out who this person is and quickly. If they blow the whistle on my identity, this is all over."_

* * *

"Sorry I'm late, Rouga." Bruce burst into the rented office that he and Rouga co-paid for. Rouga waved him off, his eyes glue to the computer.

"It's fine. The guy's not here yet."

"What are you looking at?"

"The software... I just finished refining it and looks good. Can't wait to put it the test, eh?"

Bruce walked around the desk. "Yeah, it looks great. It must've been pretty boring doing by yourself, though."

"Meh, it's fine. I was on the phone anyway."

That statement made Bruce pause. "Oh, yeah? Who were you talking to?"

"Huh?"

"Who were you talking to, Rouga?"

Rouga smiled uncomfortably, a bit put off by the hint of the demanding nature in Bruce's tone. "My mom." He said carefully. "Why?"

Bruce shook his head quickly. "Nothing. I'm sorry."

Rouga glanced at him with a slight puzzlement in his eye before shrugging it off. Bruce sat down in the chair as Rouga turned to pour himself a cup of coffee. Bruce stared at him for a second, contemplating.

" _No... I checked him out. He's clean. There's no reason to believe Rouga is Benzaiten. I just don't get that feeling from him..."_

A knock was heard at the door, interrupting Bruce's thoughts. Rouga walked over to open it while Bruce stood up and fixed his suit. An average height man with black hair and a business suit came in, bowing respectfully. Bruce and Rouga politely returned the gesture.

"Pleased to meet you gentlemen. I am Hayato Fujino, the executive director of Aranami Construction Company."

"A pleasure to meet you, Fujino-san. I am Ryu Komori and this is Rouga Shiro, of the newly formed Komori & Shiro Software Productions. Shall we get to business?"

"Yes, let's."

* * *

Sayo walked the streets of Tobioka City. She had just left her apartment and was now making her way to Oriha's mansion. She felt like walking there as she had a few things on her mind.

" _If Itaru Togo really is reponsible for who I am, what I am... Then could there be others like me? What am I? Who am I? My past... why can't I remember my past... who can give me answers..."_ She stopped on the sidewalk as she saw Arashi walk up to her.

"Hitsugi-san." He greeted.

"Arashi, what are you doing out here?"

"I was studying with a friend."

"A friend?" Hitsugi smirked and, in impish curiosity, teased him about it. "What kind of friend, Arashi? A close one?"

Unfortunately for Hitsugi's entertainment, Arashi was not well-versed in social conduct at all so when teased about such things, he didn't recognize the implications. "Yeah. She's a student like me but we're close enough, I guess."

Sayo sighed exasperatedly, comically dropping her head. "You're no fun, Arashi..."

"What are you doing out here, Hitsugi-san?"

She raised her head, a solemn look twinkling in her eyes. "I'm trying to find myself... to figure out who I am and why I'm the way I am..."

"Did you find out anything?"

Sayo scratched the back of her head. "No... not yet. But I will."

Arashi smiled at her softly. "Yeah, I think you will, too."

Sayo chuckled at him, lightly punching him the shoulder which made Arashi cringe slightly. "Let's get to HQ."

* * *

"Are-are you serious?! Would you really consider doing that for me and my family?"

"Sure." Rouga shrugged. "If working at Aranami's company is so bad, come work for us."

"A man shouldn't be forced to compromise on his moral code." Bruce chimed. "The scandals seem to be putting pressure on Aranami's company and with the police reformed, he may be put down soon enough. You should come work with us while you still can."

"I'm afraid we're still just starting out so we can't pay a high-salary right off the bat..."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" Fujino bowed down on his knees, his head touching the floor. "To finally leave Aranami's company, to be assured that and my family will be protected and to never have to take orders from that morally bankrupt man... It's too much, sirs! Thank you!"

"Uh..." Feeling awkward, Rouga scratched his cheek, a drop of sweat on his temple. "You don't have to do all that..."

"I must repay you two somehow… My daughter!"

"You don't have to-" Bruce began.

"Wait, let him finish." Rouga quickly shushed Bruce.

"My daughter has just come back from her trip. She was currently traveling but now, she's back and I would like her to get reaccustomed to the city. She's really quite sweet and is a joy to be around. Would either of you two do the honors of escorting her tomorrow evening?"

" _This seems more like a favor for you than for us..."_ Rouga comically thought. "I can't do it tomorrow. I have other plans. How about you, Ryu-san?"

Bruce glanced at the somewhat pleading look of Fujino. "I... think I'm free. I'd be happy to take her out. However, we don't want you to quit right away. It can be done after this project. The city needs it more than ever."

Fujino nodded. "Of course, of course."

After the meeting and the tests, Fujino was bubbly inside. No more would he have to serve that shady man and his manipulative assistant. He could finally be on the lawful side, never having to worry about being arrested and accused of lumping in with men outside of the law. He smiled. He could keep his daughter safe, from realizing he associated with monsters. His car stopped at the gate of his house. He punched in a code and it opened up. It wasn't a mansion but it was quite big and expensive, evidence of the wealth he made. He parked his car, took out the keys and nearly skipped to his house, spinning the keys around his finger. Entering his home, he removed his shoes and at the top of his lungs, exclaimed, "AKEMI-CHAN!"

Akemi Fujino, his 19 year old daughter, came rushing downstairs, greeting her father with a cute, pleasant smile. Akemi was a busty, dark haired girl with black eyes. Her raven hair reached to her tailbone and her height was little above average. She wore a purple kimono with a dark blue blue theme. Overall, she seemed like your average, traditional Japanese girl.

"Welcome home, Otou-sama."

Her father rushed over and hugged her daughter, rubbing his cheek against hers in a risible fashion. "Akemi-chan, it's so good to be home!"

"Ah! Otou-sama, your beard! Your beard hurts!"

"Ah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I should really shave." He released her, smiling down widely at his pride and joy. "It's so good to have you back home. Your old man has really missed you. Oh, and good news! I know the city has changed quite a bit since you've been here so I got you a date!"

"Oh?"

"Don't worry. He's a good man. He's helped your papa greatly today. If you're interested, he's willing to be your escort around town."

Akemi smiled, nodding twice. "That sounds great, Otou-sama. I look forward to meeting him. If you'll excuse me, Otou-sama, I have to get back to my studies but I've already cooked dinner and kept it warm for you." She gave him a peck on the cheek before running off upstairs, the maid following her. Hayato looked on at his daughter, smiling in joy. She made him so proud, studying hard to become a teacher.

Akemi walked into her room and the maid closed the door behind her.

"It's good news, don't you think, Memma?" Fujino asked her maid.

"Yes, my lady." She replied.

"Otou-sama no longer has to work for those nasty Aranami people. I feel overjoyed for him." Akemi pulled out a chair and brought it near her east wall. She stood on it and pressed her hand on the wall. "Please make sure to keep my father away from my room, Memma."

"Yes, my lady."

Fujino moved a panel aside and revealed a switch. She pressed it and small door slid open, revealing a dark room with a desk in the middle. On the desk was a computer and headset. The floors of the room were wooden and the walls that could barely be seen were white. Fujino walked into the room, the door closing behind her. Akemi sat at her desk and put on her headset, smiling sweetly.

" _It's time for Benzaiten to get to work."_

* * *

D walked up to Wild Hunt, who stood on a rooftop and stared at the moon.

"You talk to the princess?" D asked.

"I did. She told me her reasoning. She said that she knew that Benzaiten would figure us out and had even hoped upon such a thing. She simply wanted to use him to tangle with the Batman, expose his identity and have us take him down when we see it."

"So, she wants us to spectate the confrontation and then take them out?"

"Exactly. It won't work, though."

"Why do you say that?"

"The Batman works in the shadows. It's not in his nature to be too confrontational with someone like this and with the threat of us looming over his head, it's more than likely he won't be revealing himself so easily. Still, the Princess's orders are absolute and whatever happens, we'll deal with."

* * *

 _'The police have narrowed the suspect of the multi-police station bombing incident to the vigilante known as the Batman. The Batman has been rumored to be working with the Yakuza in trying to destroy the city's morale. In a statement from Captain Hijiri himself, he says "We have found numerous amounts of evidence at the explosion sites of bombs that only the Batman has been seen to use. He has no sides and no morals. He targets whomever he wills, police, criminals, and civilians alike. He is a terrorist and will be apprehended and unmasked." In a previous poll, citizens have shown a favorable siding with the Batman, with 83% of population agreeing with his methods and cheering him on. After the police bombing, which costs the lives of 152 police and civilians, the favoring for his capture is now 68%.'_

Fujino sat in her chair, staring at the screen in contemplation. _"The Batman is behind these bombings? Unlikely. His methods in Tobioka were very systematic and structural,_ _not chaotic and random_ _. If we were to use that for evidence on his behavior, then he's more than likely being framed. There are several people that could gain something by framing him... The underworld, the other vigilante group 'The Iron Mask Gang' and the group that hired me. The ones who hired me aren't the ones who did it otherwise there would be no need for my services. They could just wait out, using the police whenever necessary. The underworld had influence with the police but after they were revealed to have influence, they have retreated from the light so they're crossed out which leaves the Iron Mask Gang. It would make sense that they would be at odds with the Batman between their pattern of killing and his pattern of not killing. If they did frame him, that would mean they would needs some influence with the police to keep the pressure on the Batman, meaning one of their operatives would need to be one of high positioning..."_

Fujino leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. _"Either Captain Hijiri or Lieutenant Ogawa... The highest amount of influence would be_ _from_ _Hijiri and judging by how many remarks he makes about the Batman, it would make sense that he has some allegiance with them. Even assuming he doesn't have anything to do with them, he is still a puppet being used for other gains. If the Iron Mask Gang and the Batman are enemies then by finding out their identity, I can gain some clues on who he is."_

Fujino typed in something in the search engine of her computer. _"The Vixen had blown up a hospital building, evacu_ _a_ _ting the subjects before doing so. Why? Why would Vixen, who is not known for being so direct, go after a hospital? The only logical answer is a personal vendetta of some sort. If that's the case, what could Masamune Mochizuki be_ _doing_ _behind the scenes to have angered her..."_

She scrolled through the various pages of his name, seeing a site for his school and hospital. She clicked on the hospital link first, checking the staff information. _"Yuko Sagiri, Sayo Hitsugi, Miki Tsurugi... Three physical fit individuals... The Iron Mask gang has been listed to have at least five_ _members_ _..."_

She typed in Sayo Hitsugi's name and a twitter page popped up. She clicked on it and scrolled through the page, stopping upon seeing a picture of her next to a boy known as Arashi. She smiled before searching his name up, the only link with that name coming up in the school page.

Fujino reached into her desk and pulled out her encrypted cell phone, dialing someone's number. "It's me."

 _'Yo! Long time, no hear. Never thought you'd up callin' me, Benzaiten, my man. Guess that means your go to guy for info is out, huh?'_

"Is there anything in common with medical professionals Yuko Sagiri, Sayo Hitsugi, and Miki Tsurugi besides their shared work venue?"

 _'Hmm... I don't have much on them. They're very obscure information about them... They only thing that connects all of them is that Sayo Hitsugi is the guardian of high school student Arashi Mikami and Miki Tsurugi is the guardian of Mikoto Kiba. Both of those two have nearly died and have been brought to those hospitals and go to the same schools.'_

"I see. Thank you very much for the information." She shut off the phone, thinking on this. _"Mikoto and Arashi died, were brought back to life at the hospital, enrolled in_ _a_ _school built by the same man and now live with two of his doctors... There's too many connections to ignore the possibility... A surgeon who heals people painlessly, an_ _anesthesiologist_ _who puts people to sleep, a nurse who makes rounds and two students learning to make runs... The medical euphemisms are so corny I don't want to believe it but there's a high chance that the Iron Mask gang_ _is operating under the guise of doctors and Mochizuki is the leader. Their identity is not so hard to figure out that the Batman wouldn't know it… I wonder if it would be safe to assume that he does… In which he case, the only way he wouldn't reveal it is because they hold something over him… A friend, a lover… His identity? That makes sense… They hold something connected to his true identity, if not his identity itself. If they know that much, then they must have interacted with each other at some point…"_ She glanced to the right corner of the computer screen, where an online picture of the police captain rested. She clicked her teeth in frustration, drawing no conclusions. _"I still need more evidence..."_

* * *

Bruce sat in his computer, staring at the various window screens on his computer. He had gotten the Vixen to give him the phone list of every messaging conversation and call she's had with Benzaiten. Bruce had combed over the call records and messages, using anything he could to determine any clues he could use to find who Benzaiten was.

" _This person has used Red Vixen to spy on various people to gain evidence and confirm suspicions… Terrorists, war criminals, convicts of all sorts… Not the type of person who would ally for Syringe. Depending on the length of his employment, I would think Benzaiten has already deduced the type of people he's working for… Yet, this person still seeks to find me… Why?"_ No answers came to mind. _"Nevertheless, it seems Benzaiten has some experience, having been solving cases for at least five years. It's a possibility they could be around my age or younger. Despite the disguised voice, I could still pick out the tone and subtly phonetic dialect of the person speaking… Either it's a woman or it's a man who wants me to believe he's a woman. If that were the case, speaking without the disguised voice may have been more effective. A young woman with at least five years of Grade A detective work under their belt with a moderate-to-high amount of wealth… That's too vague. I need more to go off on."_

He glanced at the screen and looked over the call records for the past year. _"This is interesting… For the past year, Benzaiten has been searching for a target known as the Hammer but he's eluded her for several months. His crimes weren't on the same scale as her other assignments… His crimes was a_ _s a_ _serial killer in Tokyo. He murdered several cops_ _and_ _civilians but no one notable enough for the police to hire her… This was personal. Someone she was close to was killed_ _in Japan…"_

Bruce searched up the names of the people he killed but his interest rested on the name Aimi Fujino, the wife of Hayato Fujino and father of Akemi Fujino. He narrowed his eyes.

" _A young woman with moderate wealth… Her father said she came back after a year of traveling elsewhere… Akemi Fujino… Graduated university at 16 years old, lost mother at 14 and has been raised by bumbling father ever since… The motive to drive her, the time needed, the potential… It's all there."_

Bruce smirked at the screen. "Found you."

* * *

Akemi sat in her chair, staring at her computer screen. _"A man, athletic, moderately wealthy…"_ She leaned back in her chair, sighing softly. _"There's only one reason a man would don a bat-suit to fight crime… Tragedy. A tragedy inflicted at a young age… like me… Parents? Siblings? Despite that, it seems that he intends some good for this city. That in some way he would want to… spread… good..."_ Her eyes widened as a thought entered her head. _"The men who hired_ _F_ _ather! Who were they?!"_ She typed quickly, hacking into her father's computer. She found what she was looking for – the names of the men who hired her father. _"This might be a far-fetched chance… but let's see… Rouga Shiro and Ryu Komori… Both seem athletic and from business history have acquired a substantial amount of wealth, enough to fund gadgetry and build secret bases…_ _Could Rouga Shiro be…?_ _"_ She glanced to the corner of her screen, looking at the video of the ball from last night. She had brought it up to listen to the speech of the police captain but the cameramen themselves depicted the dance floor, showing people all of types. One particular sight caught her interest – a devilishly handsome man grabbing a blue-haired woman's butt. Fujino's eyes widened. _"Contact! Hitsugi and Ryu Komori have made contact! The connection is there, the pieces fit! Parents lost, a city in crime, wealth available… Ryu Komori… You are the Batman."_

* * *

Mochizuki rolled into Ran's room, the blonde woman peacefully laying in her bed, awake and reading a book.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"The same way I felt since the last time you asked. Which was 10 minutes ago." She chuckled. "I'm fine."

"I've made you a salad."

Ran slowly sat up in her bed, leaning against her pillow. "I suppose I'll have to be careful of what I eat for awhile..."

"Just take it easy and rest as long as you need to. I'll take care of everything from here on. You'll be safe here, I promise."

She smiled, eating her food slowly. "They'll need your guidance… You have a will of steel, one that could clear the disease plaguing this city… I know that."

"Yes. The construction on the city is going well… Komori has started his own business venture on the side and now operates with a man known as Rouga Shiro. A fellow business partner at Tobishiro's firm… Nothing suspicious about him. It seems the Batman is trying to secure Aranami's private funds before we do."

"What are you going to do?"

"He won't do anything so long as the police stations are getting rebuilt. Even if they are his enemy, he has also grown attached to this city and wishes to see its morale rebooted. That stagnation of action on his part could be used for our advantage. I think the 'shadow' is subtly trying to make their move on the Batman and he's privately trying to deal with it. While he's dealing with that, we can secure the funds by interrogating some of the key executives of Aranami. I don't want to directly kill the man who is rebuilding needed stations so we'll keep Aranami alive until he's finished."

"Who will we go after first?"

"One of Aranami's most trusted subordinates – Hayato Fujino."

* * *

Konomi was on duty, holding her gun in her hand. Several of her fellow policemen were getting ready to raid a drug meeting between several top drug dealers on the West side. Konomi moved in first, going through an entrance and hiding behind some crates. The other three officers moved in and began holding up their guns, telling everyone to freeze. The participants slowly raised their hands until a gunsman from above popped out and began shooting at the cops, forcing them to take cover. Konomi rose out of cover and, in one shot, hit the man in the shoulder, knocking him to the floor. She ducked back down as the drug dealers pulled out their guns and began shooting at them rapidly.

"Shoot out the lights!" Konomi shouted to her comrades. One of them nodded and shot out two lights. Konomi pulled out her radio on her hip.

"Team B, take them out!"

Several police officers came out from behind the drug dealers and took them out with nightsticks, disarming them of their weapons.

"Damn it!" The drug dealers cursed as the cuffs were put around their wrists

Konomi smiled in triumph, her colleagues patting her on her back.

"Nice job, Suzue!"

"You're a natural."

"Nice shootin'!"

"Thanks you guys." She blushed upon hearing all the praise.

The moment of camaraderie was interrupted with the sudden sound of a canister dropping and the next thing they knew, a gas was being released.

"What the hell?!"

"Cover your mouths! Don't breathe it in!"

"Aw, shi-"

Everyone in the room passed out as a shadowy figure revealed itself.

* * *

The elevator came down in the Batcave and Yuu stepped off, walking over to Bruce who sat in the chair. She leaned over the chair, wrapping her arms around him and greeted him with a smooch to the cheek.

He didn't respond, his eyes were fixated on the screen. She glanced up and her eyes widened at what she saw. Several cops were being filmed and the video was being broadcasted live from a news channel. The cops stood in an office room, holding guns to their heads. One of those cops included Konomi. Their eyes were zoned out and they seemed almost stupefied.

A female wearing a black mask stepped into the camera view. "Hello, hello!" She waved. "I know how it looks but trust me, I really have no intention of killing anyone!"

Yuu's eyes widened. _"That voice…!"_

"I will, however, if anybody tries to rush in the building. There's only one person I want coming here… I want the Batman. I know you're watching, Batman. For all those people you killed for no good reason, I'm going to make you suffer for it nice and slowly. Hurry over here, _demon."_

The broadcast shut off and Bruce glared at the screen. "Suit up." He told his partner.

Elsewhere, three people watched the broadcasting with interest – Benzaiten, Mochizuki and Wild Hunt. Their thoughts aligned as one and in some strange cosmic unison, shared the common thought: _"Now, Batman, what will you do?"_

At the sight of the holding, the girl tossed the mask to an office chair, giggling to herself, almost insanely. The girl was Emi Kazuma.

"Now… Mommy, Daddy… I'll make the bad Bat pay..."

* * *

A.N.: In before the end of the year! Hope you guys enjoyed it and if you did, review, follow, fav and add to your communities, eh? Also, to anyone new, be sure to list your harem preferences and just generally let me know what you think of the story. And, as a quick sidenote, I've got a new oneshot of Batman up. If you want to see a short but extravagant date between a divorced Sue Storm and Bruce Wayne then check it out and give it a bit of love because why not?: [ s/11693809/1/Batman-Adventure-Chronicles-Sue-s-Great-Date] Thanks for reading and see you next year!

Green out.

*(Emi Kazuma is the name I'm giving to a minor character in Triage X. Unlike Rouga, she is not an OC and if you've seen the anime than she is the one who informs Yuu of the rumors of the Tobioka disappearances and if the manga is the one you follow, then it is the girl on volume 9 between the pages of 102-108 doing the same thing.)


	16. Chapter 16: Iron Masked Devil

The sirens blared around the office building downtown Tobioka City as the police surrounded the building. A crowd had begun to develop, eager to see what would take place and the police kept them back behind the lines. On a rooftop, Hunter stood in her gear, bow and arrow in hand. She reached behind her back and pulled out a pair of binoculars, zooming in on the windows. They were boarded shut and no one could see inside, not even the news helicopter that was circling the building.

"I'm in position." Hunter said.

 _'Good.'_ Came the reply. _'This will be your first official mission. Stealth will be a priority. Wait until you see my signal and then, shoot the appointed target.'_

"Gotcha."

Below, the police made way for SAT members, the men moving through until they formed in a small nine-men group in front of the building. The men discussed things amongst themselves before they nodded in unison. A man stepped forward and took off his SAT gear, replacing it with a bat-costume. The man strapped a radio behind his waist and then went inside the building. He walked up the stairs with a certain tension in his body, a certain nervousness. He stopped in front of the fire exit of the top floor, opening the door. He made sure to let the door close loudly, so Emi Kazuma would know he was here.

The man was alerted to a cop that suddenly popped out of the shadows.

"Officer!" He quietly exclaimed. "Are you al… right?"

The man was completely zoned out, clearly drugged. He raised his hand and beckoned him to follow his lead. Though extremely cautious, the man in the cape and cowl followed him, stopping until he came to a room where four officers stood, all holding guns to their heads. They all possessed the same drugged look as the officer, who picked up a gun from the ground and assumed the same position as his colleagues. The man's eyes darted back and forth, bewildered until they were drawn forward when the girl herself walked out. She wore a Mofuku and a veil over her face. She tossed it over her head, revealing her face. Her face was covered in make-up but tears had evidently fallen, as you could see the traces of ruined make-up beneath her eyes. She smiled upon seeing the man before her, pointing to his mask.

"I'm glad you're here, _murderer…_ Take off your mask. I want to see your face. Do it or I'll order my puppets to shoot themselves."

The man complied, removing his mask and showing his face. The man had brown eyes and black hair and looked all-around average in general.

"I'm here… You've caught me. Now, let these hostages go!"

"No… So long as I hold them over you, I'll be safe… I will happily release them… after I kill you and then kill myself! I just want to see you die before it all ends… I don't mind going to Hell… I just want to see you go there first!"

She reached into the sleeve of her arm and pulled out some powder into the palm of hand. She walked over to him and blew it in his face. The man coughed, before his body froze up and he collapsed to the ground, paralyzed.

"You like it? It's mixed with a toxin from a certain deadly spider… you won't die but you'll paralyzed for at least 24 hours and I'll be able to torture you nice and slowly for all the world to see." Emi put on her mask and then turned to Konomi. "You," She ordered. "Take down the boarding from the windows. I want the world to see him die."

Konomi did so. Like a zombie with no free will, she removed the boarding from the windows and allowed the news helicopter to see inside the building.

* * *

In the mansion, Mochizuki and Yuko watched the news report. Yuko held her sword in her hand and upon seeing the woman who was captured, she tightened the grip on her weapon. She turned to Mochizuki, a faint pleading look in her eye.

"Doctor, let me go and help those hostages! Regardless of our war with the Batman, I do not want to see innocent lives die!"

"No."

She gasped. "Why…?"

"Then we can found out for sure… if this woman is his ally. If he saves her somehow, we'll know for sure. Her being in the police force, I can use Hijiri to extend his influence over Konomi and attack the Batman in some manner. Yuko, it almost seems to me that you want to save this woman because you too believe he is associated with the Batman and that if you saved her, you could prevent him pain… If this is your belief, than I would be forced to call your loyalty into question. I don't want to do that, Yuko."

Yuko glanced away from him, shutting her eyes in a solemn motion. "No… I have no sentiments to the Batman. I… simply wished to avoid sacrificing lives meaninglessly."

"I see. Good."

"If you'll excuse me, sir..."

Yuko rushed out of the room, head bowed. She walked down the hall until she was far away from the room. She stood in the hall, her brow furrowed intensely. She slammed her fist on the wall, her head still bowed.

"Damn it..."

A person who had been watching Yuko from a corner turned back down the hall.

* * *

In an unknown area of the city, Wild Hunt stood in front of the computer screen, next to Kaname and watched the news report. The twenty-two year old child-like woman sat in her chair, licking a popsicle while watching it too.

"Hmm… I wonder what the Bat will do..." She muttered, licking her treat.

"He'll save the cops without revealing himself. It would be interesting..."

"Hm?" She glanced up at him. "What would be interesting?"

"If that female officer had some sort of connection to him..."

Kaname waved the notion off, chuckling. "You're just saying that cause you like her milk boobs."

"I'm not interested in women."

"Oh, yeah, that's right." She licked her treat again before biting it.

* * *

From the rooftop, Yuu raised her bow and aimed at her high school friend. Her aim was dead on the mark, right for her neck. She grimaced, knowing the pain her friend was going through. A brief thought passed through her head, a thought that suggested that her friend might have snapped upon having her parents die. She hoped that wasn't the case but judging from her recent actions, this may be true.

" _Ryu-kun should be getting position right about now… Once I see the signal, I need to shoot my silent arrow onto the light on the helicopter. The arrow will cut off the light's power and they won't be able to see anything, even with their camera. If I stay in the darkness, I can take out Emi when it's time and disappear without them shining light on me."_

Inside the building, Emi pulled out a knife and brought it to the man's face. "I'm going to carve a picture of the devil on your face… I'm going to let everyone know that you're nothing but a liar, a false shepherd leading us all to doom… Sacrificing lives for your own entertainment. My parents' lives…"

Batman, the real one, sat in the vents of the building, watching her speak from above. _**"Yuu told me about her… about how she lost her parents. She thinks I'm the cause. I've never cared about my image, about what people thought of what I did. I simply wanted criminals to fear me… But I never thought that by making civilians fear me, I could turn them into this."**_

He frowned to himself, mentally reprimanding his brief self-loathing moment. _**"Focus. Konomi's life hangs in the balance… the signal will take place soon and when it does, Hunter will take down both the lights and Kazuma. Three… two… one..."**_

" **Emi Kazuma."**

The foreboding voice came from all places of the room, heard only by those in the office. Emi looked around wildly, unable to pinpoint the origin. "Who… who are you?!"

" **You have caused mayhem tonight, attacked innocent people in the name of your personal vendetta… it all ends here."**

"Where are you? Who are you?!"

Hunter, from the rooftop, watched as Emi looked around wildly and pulled her bow back, aiming at the helicopter light. _"There's the signal."_ With pinpoint accuracy, Hunter's arrow flew threw the air and silently attached itself to the small floodlight attached to the helicopter. The arrow exuded a small amount of electricity and the light fazed out. The cameraman and reporter inside the helicopter grew confused.

"Hey! What happened to the lights?"

Emi glanced to her side, looking at the helicopter. "What's going on?!"

Hunter pulled out another arrow and drew her bow, aiming at Emi this time. "Here… we… oof!" Hunter was knocked to the ground via a kick, her bow knocked out of her hand. She glanced up to see a purple haired woman dressed in black look down at her. She wore a mask over her face.

When Batman saw no arrows hitting Emi, he narrowed his eyes in confusion. _**"**_ _ **Why hasn't Hunter taken her shot?"**_

Emi, frustrated and annoyed, took the gun out of one of the cop's hands and pointed to the downed fake Batman. "That's it! No more games! Y-you die now!" Her hands shook and her eyes wavered.

" _ **Despite her grief, she's still human. She had never taken a life before and even with that much anger, she still feels doubt, hesitation and lack of commitment. Hunter has yet to shoot so that means it's time to activate plan B."**_

Batman busted out of the vent grate, landing like a shadowy ghost behind Emi. She spun around and aimed it at the threat, her eyes widening on seeing who it is. The camera crew could hardly see anything, but the flutter from the chopper blades made it clear that another man had entered the room with some kind of cape.

"You're him!" Emi exclaimed. "The real one… I can tell!"

Batman took a step forward but she raised her hand, stopping him. "One motion is all takes to signal them to blow their heads out. Listen!" She shouted at the officers behind her. "If you see the Batman hurt me then shoot yourselves!"

" **There's no justice in this."**

"I don't care about justice! I just want to hurt you, the same way you hurt me!"

" **Whatever it is you think, it's a lie. I'm not the one who destroyed the police headquarters."**

"Bullshit! The cops said they have evidence of you at the crime scene!"

" **The cops are wrong."**

"Why should I believe you, some damn vigilante who thinks he's a god?" Tears began flooding out of Emi's eyes now. "You took them from me! You did!"

* * *

Hunter got to her feet after being surprise attacked, glancing to her right to see Batman had revealed himself. _"Sorry, Ryu-kun..."_

"Who are you?!" Hunter demanded. The woman didn't answer and instead stepped forward to kick Hunter in the face. Hunter ducked it but didn't foresee the second kick that would follow up. It hit her in the cheek, knocking her to the ground again. Hunter reached behind her and pulled out an arrow, shooting one at the woman. She dodged it before rushing to her target.

" _If I can't beat her face to face then I'll have to use my arrows..."_ Hunter turned and ran, jumping down from the roof to a lower one. She pulled out another arrow and shot at the woman who flipped and dodged it. Hunter took an arrow out of her quiver and put it in her mouth, holding it there. She then reached back and took out two more, taking careful aim at the purple haired woman. She shot the arrows, both of them releasing a plume of smoke that blinded her. The purple haired woman rushed out of the smoke but saw no one in front of her. An arrow was shot into her back, shocking her and forcing her to knees. Hunter reappeared beside her and kicked her in the mouth, knocking her to her back. Pinning her knee on the woman's chest, she reached for her mask when the woman punched Hunter in the jaw and grabbed her jacket, throwing her off. The purple haired woman then got up and jumped off the rooftop. Grabbing an arrow from the quiver, Hunter ran over to the edge and glanced down but saw nobody.

* * *

While Hunter had been fighting Chikage, Batman stood facing Emi and tried to negotiate with her.

" **Let the hostages go. You don't have to hurt them, it's me you want."**

"Take off the mask. Take off the mask and the belt and then, I'll let them go."

Batman narrowed his eyes. **"Alright."** He glanced out the corner of his eye. _**"The cameras shouldn't be able to see me take off my mask..."**_ Batman removed his belt and tossed it over to her.

"Now the mask."

Batman slowly reached to his cowl and pulled it off, the girl intently staring at him. The cowl slowly came off and underneath was a bald man, his one eye blind. His other eye was brown and he had scars all over his head and neck.

Emi's face contorted into one of disgust. "At least you _look_ like the real deal. Fine… Now…" She stepped on the belt. "Kill Batman, cow-tits!"

The drugged woman turned to the Batman, her eyes like a zombie. Though her facial expression couldn't show it, she was mentally struggling to control her body.

" _No! Please!"_ Though she slightly shook with struggle, Konomi was powerless to raise her weapon at Batman's chest. Batman slowly glanced out the corner of his eye and they widened slightly at seeing the tint of a scope from meters away. He returned his attention to Konomi, who had tears falling out of her eyes. The cameras were able to capture Konomi pointed the gun at a shadowy figure, but due to the angle, they couldn't see who was pointing the gun. Just before she pulled the trigger, a projectile flew through the air and landed in Konomi's neck. A second before Emi could register this, Batman threw a smoke ball to the ground. Emi coughed, unable to say anything.

"Sh-" Her mouth was quieted by Batman's gloved hand.

" **If they don't see me take you out, they don't kill themselves, right?"** Batman knocked her out with a chop to the neck before throwing his cowl back on and knelt down next to Konomi, seeing a syringe sticking out of her neck. He plucked it out before stowing it away. He turned her to other side. _**"She looks as if she was dead. Just before I threw the smoke, the cameras probably caught Konomi getting shot. They didn't see the projectile so when the smoke clears, it would seem like she was dead. This should fool Mochizuki into thinking that, even if this woman did have a connection to me, she's dead so there's nothing he can do to her. Stay there, Konomi."**_

"Bat… man?" She uttered weakly. "Please… don't… hurt… her..." Konomi passed out, unconscious, with Batman unsure of why she said what she said. Unable to ponder on it for it long, Batman strapped on his belt and tossed batarangs into the necks of the officers, knocking them all out. He glanced behind at Emi's body as the smoke cleared, glaring at her teary unconscious face.

Batman then turned his look beyond the windows and looked towards a building from far away. He turned on his binocular vision and zoomed in on a shadowy figure that had disappeared before he could get a visual.

" _ **That tranq dart wasn't shot by Hunter… it wasn't on her arrow. This was shot by a sniper rifle… and I'm almost certain of the identity of the sniper."**_

* * *

Mochizuki leaned back in his wheelchair, sighing as the Batman tossed a batarang at the camera, shutting off the broadcast.

" _He probably wants to know how that girl was able to set up an operation like that on her own. So, the police detective is dead… There's no way he planned to fake her death… a sniper shot her… was it the shadow?"_

* * *

"Oh, she's waking up, she's waking up!" Yuu, bubbling with joy, stood over Konomi as her eyes fluttered up and, groaning, she sat up.

"What happened…?"

Bruce walked over to her, handing her a bottle of water. "You died."

"What?"

"To the world, you're dead. You were shot in the neck by a tranquilizer and from the way it happened, the enemies who watched the exchange, believe you to be dead. It didn't go exactly as planned but, we got you out of there alive and with no casualties."

Konomi downed the bottle of water. "What… what did you do with Emi Kazuma?"

Bruce motioned to the hall of the Batcave. "I put her in a makeshift cell. Konomi, do you know her?"

She looked down and sighed sadly. "I knew her mother… she was a… mentor of mine. We got along great. I heard… she died in the explosion too. Ryu, I know what she did was wrong but I want to try to get through to her… I feel like I owe it to her mother… And… I don't want to see another daughter of this tragedy lose themselves..."

Bruce lifted her chin, forcing her to look into his ocean blue eyes. "I understand. I don't like it… but I understand. Whatever you do, however, do not let her out until I say so. Do not let her know anything about our true identities and always be ready to defend yourself when around her. Is that acceptable to you?"

"Yes, thank you." Konomi wrapped her arms around him and embraced him tightly.

"Well, I hope you're happy." Walking into the room with a phone in her hand was Nao, wearing a red dress. "My operative just called, you know, the one who got the weird spider toxin crap sprayed into his face? Yeah, well, he told me he was with his wife today and he found out his little soldier… it ain't saluting."

Bruce walked over to computer. "Tell his wife to rub it a few times a day. It'll get better eventually."

"So, what, that's it? No, thank you, no kiss? No appreciation for loaning you my men and their SAT gear impersonation skills?"

Bruce turned and walked over to her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a lollipop, handing it to her. "Thank you." He said. Nao took the sucker, mildly surprised at the sentiment.

"To be honest, I would've preferred the kiss..." She muttered under her breath, sucking the candy.

"Hunter, take care of Oracle. I've got an appointment to keep."

"What appointment?" Konomi asked.

"A date."

* * *

"You had Hizaki search the buildings?"

"Yes, Hunt. She found an archer, aiming at the girl."

"Was Hizaki able to identify the archer?"

"No. The archer proved to be surprisingly capable, but Hizaki kept her distracted and forced the Bat to show himself."

"Your puppet is proving to be more and more of a liability. First, she is captured by the Batman and then, she is unable to finish her target? You're lucky she knew nothing about our true nature."

"I know, I know. I was just glad she had digested one of the tracking devices I have her swallow before every mission. I'm honestly getting fed up with her too. I might just have to put her down eventually."

"So, this proves the Batman has a few operatives… Interesting. A few pawns on the chess board… very interesting."

* * *

"I want to thank you, Komori-san, for showing me around the city. I really appreciate you being my escort."

"It was all my pleasure, Fujino-san. And please, after this wonderful evening we just had, I would like you to call me Ryu from now on."

"Okay..." She replied shyly. "Truthfully, when I heard about you, I expected you to be a bit…"

"Older?"

"More intense."

He glanced down at her out of the corner of his eye. "I'm rather laid-back if I'm to be honest, though, I find myself full of energy being next to you now."

"You flatter me, Ryu-san." Her stomach growled, causing Fujino to blush in embarrassment. "Excuse me..."

"Ah! All these sights and I forgot about treating you to a meal. I'm sorry, Fujino-san. Shall we go get something?"

"That would be nice, yes." She nodded, following Bruce into a sushi restaurant. After being welcomed by the cooks, Akemi and Bruce took a seat by a booth at the window. Fujino glanced out the window, looking at the sun set. "How beautiful..."

Bruce stared at her, his thoughts analyzing her behavior. _"There's no doubt about it… she suspects. No… she may have already made me. Her subtle comments this evening were meant to be picked up and analyzed but why? Knowing her track record for catching criminals and her sharp reasoning abilities, there's no doubt that she came to the same thought I did – she's working for Syringe. Does she know and simply doesn't care? Or… is it something else?"_

Fujino turned back at him, cocking her head to the side with a cute smile. "Is something wrong, Ryu-san?"

"N-no, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to stare."

"It's alright. I found your stare cute."

Tea was placed in front of both of them. Akemi reached for hers, sipping it.

" _He's analyzing my behavior, trying to figure out my ulterior motive. This little dance of ours is useless when we've clearly deduced each others' identity."_

She placed the tea down, glancing up at him with a serious look. "Shall we be open with our thoughts, Ryu-kun?"

Bruce took a sip of the tea, clearing his throat. "I guess the charade is over, then?"

"I know you have deduced that I am the one who peers through puzzles and I know you are the one who strikes fear into the hearts of sinners."

Bruce placed his tea down. "Correct." He interlaced his fingers, leaning in closer. "You impress me. I think I've underestimated you."

"Most people do. I don't mind it, though. I use it to my advantage."

"As you should. Let me get straight to the point… now that you know who I am, what do you plan to do with the knowledge?"

"Ah, you've deduced that I've deduced what type of people I've been hired by. I have no interest in them. In fact, I'm willing to help you catch them."

Bruce narrowed his eyes in clear suspicion. "Why?"

"Because I need your help. Your interest in Aranami has shown me that you are planning to take him down, perhaps go after his secret funds. For the sake of my father, I want to take this man down too and keep the man I love safe. I'm willing to work with a man on the dubious side of the law to do that."

"You're full of surprises, goddess. It's true, I could use a sharp mind like yourself… If I were to guess, I would say your directness comes from the fact that I have offered your father employment."

"Correct. He's moral by nature and can't stand the jobs he has to do for Aranami. I can only imagine the relief he feels by working for you."

"Very well. I'll set up meeting points and discussion channels where we can talk. We will keep this professional, I'm sure."

"Absolutely. I look forward to it."

A ring was heard from Fujino's purse. "Oh, excuse me..." She fished out the phone and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

Bruce took another sip of his tea but paused when he saw the phone slip from Fujino's hand to the table. Glancing at her eyes, she saw her frightened, shocked look. "Fujino-san, is something wrong?"

"My father… had a heart attack..."

* * *

Fujino rushed through halls, bursting into the room where her father lay, breathing heavily and strapped to machines. Bruce came in shortly after, grimacing upon seeing the sight. Fujino pulled up a chair beside her father and held his hand. The man was barely conscious, his eyes looking at his daughter. Weakness could be see in them. Vulnerability, mortality.

"Father… father, how do you feel? I was so scared that I ran over as soon as I heard..."

"I… feel better… now that… you're here..."

"Father..."

The man reached up and gently touched her daughter's cheek, smiling weakly. "So… glad..."

"Fujino-san," Bruce interluded, walking up to him. "How did this happen?"

The man's sight became faraway as he remembered. "It was all… so blurry… so fast… I only… remember one frightening image… One terror that set it all off… an iron masked… devil..."

Fujino's and Bruce's eyes widened upon hearing the words, Bruce's hand clenching in his pocket.

"You were… attacked?" Akemi asked, breathless.

"Yes… in my home… at night… thank God… you weren't there, Akemi-chan… thank God..." Her father's eyes closed and he fell to sleep, his body using all its energy.

"Yes… I wasn't there..." She looked down sadly, a tear falling over the bridge of her nose, hanging there and then free-falling to the floor. "I… wasn't there..."

"It wasn't your fault..." Bruce said softly.

Fujino stood up and rushed out of the room. Bruce followed, coming up behind her as she stopped in the hall, holding the wall for support.

"I know… I know it wasn't my fault… the Iron Mask Gang… the criminals with no sense of honor or purpose… Criminals have hurt my family again, attacked my parents again…" Fujino spun around, her cheeks red with tears but a determined, angry glint shone in her eyes. "I'll aid you. I know enough about the Iron Mask Gang to be an asset. The world's greatest detectives, you and I, will put an end to those terrorists once and for all."

Bruce walked over to her placing his hand on her shoulder. "Count on it." He continued walking down the hall, exiting the hospital building. On the streets, Bruce took out his hand and clenched, his fingers digging in his palms hard enough to draw blood. He stood there for a few moments, seething.

" _Black Label… Mochizuki… you've gone too far. Your propaganda nearly cost several lives… You've attacked an innocent, a man who had nothing to do with Aranami, scaring him into having a heart attack… I can't let you run wild any longer. You'll pay for this."_ His raised his eyes, a demonic glint shining through in the darkness. _"I promise you that!"_

* * *

Konomi walked into the room, holding a tray in her hand. She saw the girl chained to a wall, hugging her knees as she stared to the ground. Konomi gave what she hoped was a disarming smile and placed the tray next to the girl, who remained unresponsive. Konomi, somewhat unsure of what to do, sat across from Emi, trying to perceive anything she could. The girl was motionless, almost dead, blinking only every few minutes or so. After the silence had dragged on for too long, Konomi began to speak up.

"Uh, Kazum-"

"Shut the fuck up." She crudely interrupted. The girl looked up, staring into Konomi's eyes, livid. "Just shut up. I don't want to hear anything from your mouth. I know – I'm probably in some cell that they're keeping me in until I'm sentenced to death or something like that, right? Well, fuck you! Punishing the people who had the courage to kill that murderer and not going after him himself. I bet you guys are on his payroll, huh? Let me guess, you're his fuck-toy? He treats you good every night, gives the melons a good squeeze, huh? Must help with knowing that you're sleeping with a goddamn killer who didn't give a shit when %70 of the city's cops were blown to Hell. Fuck you and fuck your boyfriend."

Konomi rose up quickly and rushed out the room, slamming the door shut behind her. She supported herself against a wall, breathing heavily. She had to get out of there. Listening to the girl any longer, Konomi would've slammed her knee into her nose. Insults to herself, she could take but she hated insults against Ryu. She knew why she hated it, and the reason frightened her a little, but she knew why. She turned her around, leaning against the wall with her back and slid to the ground, bowing her head. The frustration was already getting to her but she was still determined to help this girl, to help someone who had lost their parents that day. She owed it to her teacher, she felt.

* * *

"I can't believe that shit… I can't believe you've failed so many times. I mean, you know what happens if you disappoint me, right, Goryu?"

In the secret base of the Yakuza, Goryu was chained to the wall. She had multiple lashes across her body. Kyoji smirked and kicked the woman in her face before whipping her neck several times.

"You know, when dad gave you to me as a babysitter, I was alright with it. He said I couldn't play with you but he never said anything about hurting you. And now, you're showing incompetency, Goryu. All I need to do is give my dad a call. Call him and tell him Goryu isn't cutting out and you know what would happen, right ? What would happen? My dad would kill _him_. That's right. That precious person of yours, my dad will kill him if you don't do everything I say, if you're not cut out for the job. We won't kill you, we'll kill your precious daddy."

Goryu looked down, clenching her jaw. "Forgive me, sir… I have no excuses..."

"Got that right, you whore!" He punched her in the cheek, drawing blood from mouth. "I wanted that swordswoman chick but you failed to do that and on top of it all, one my biggest business associates was arrested! You failed to kill Komori and now he knows someone is after his life. If the police, who are all goody-goody now, trace it back to me, I'm screwed. So, here's what you're going to do – you're gonna capture Komori and Shiro and bring them to one of our hideouts. I want to have nice discussion with them before I have them killed. If you understand and are completely obedient to me, then," He moved his foot forward, his shoes having a little bit of dry mud. "Kiss my feet until I say stop, _bitch_."

Goryu leaned down and kissed his feet, crying out in pain when he lashed her back. "I didn't say stop." She continued kissing his feet.

* * *

Mochizuki sat in the meeting room of Oriha's house, listening to Ampule One's briefing of their mission.

"I see…" He contemplated the events. "Well, I suppose there was no helping him getting a heart attack then. Night is falling… I want everyone to prepare to arm themselves. The Batman is coming, intent on a direct confrontation. Anger drives him and he intends to cripple us until he can have us arrested. I refuse to lose another base so when he arrives… we'll kill him."


	17. Chapter 17: The Ghostly Samurai

Bruce came down in his Batcave, his operatives all in the room. Konomi was at the computer and Hunter was in her suit. Red Vixen sat in the room smoking from her pipe, her madame-esque clothing on as well.

"Vixen, your operative, Paulo, told me he has built armoured cars for previous operations. Is this true?"

"Yeah, it's true." She said, blowing out smoke. "He's pretty damn good at it. Why?"

"I need some. How many do you have?"

"Three."

"Do they have remote-control functions?"

"That's right." Bruce turned to Konomi. "Oracle, I'm going to need you to pilot two of those cars. Vixen, I'm going to need you to summon several more of your people. Hunter, your part is one of the most integral. We're going to cripple Black Label."

After going over the plan with everyone, everybody nodded in understanding, Vixen making calls, Hunter running towards the Batcave elevator and Bruce putting on his suit.

"Ryu..."

Bruce glanced at Konomi, a desperate look in her eyes. She gripped at his cape, her wide, shimmering eyes nearly putting him in a trance. "Please, _please_ be careful..."

"Don't worry, Konomi." He replied in a low whisper. "Stay in my ear and I'll be fine." He threw his cowl over his head. **"I'll come back to you, I promise."**

Their lips met, the softness becoming impactful. They both inhaled sharply, Konomi relaxing into him until the kiss ended, too soon for Konomi and she slowly sat back in her chair, watching him leave with worry in her stomach.

* * *

Oriha and Mikoto stood on the roof, Oriha with a grenade launcher in hand and Mikoto with her two guns. Oriha and Mikoto were wary, waiting for signs of an attack.

"Hey… Miko-chin..."

"What is it?"

"You don't think he's really coming… do you?" There was a slight amount of trepidation in her voice. Mikoto glanced at Oriha, seeing her grip her grenade launcher tightly.

"Yeah… he's coming. But don't worry, squirt… Miko-chin will protect you, no matter what."

Oriha turned her head to Mikoto and felt reassured, smiling at her. Their sisterly moment was cut short by the sound of approaching tires. The birds flew off into the night sky as the sound disturbed their nests, knocking down the forest trees. Oriha glanced behind her, hearing another one of the same sound approaching from the south.

"There's two of them!" She exclaimed.

Mikoto frowned heavily. "He's here… the Batman is here!"

An armoured car rushing forward from the south, destroying the water fountain as it came into the courtyard.

"Oriha, activate the traps!"

"Already on it!"

Before the car could get any closer, several rockets were launched from statues and hedges, hitting its tires and flipping it over. Once it landed on its back, the area around it exploded, destroying the car.

" _ **So they do have traps. Remote controlled."**_

The other car, coming from the front, shot down the gate and knocked it onto a statue.

"A ramp?!" Oriha exclaimed. The car rode onto the gate and flew it into the air, crushing the statue but managing to get enough air to avoid the rocket traps. The car busted into the main door and stopped in the main hall.

 _'EMP – activated.'_ A robotic voice said. The next moment, the lights blew out including the booby-traps and other appliances in the house that weren't EMP-protected.

"Oriha, we're going down to help!" Mikoto shouted.

"Right!"

Just before they could move, Mikoto found herself shot in the shoulder and sent rolling back on the roof, stopping after a few rolls. Oriha ducked down quickly, glancing towards her comrade.

"Miko-chin! Are you alright?!"

Mikoto sat up, holding her shoulder. She glanced to her side, picking up the projectile. "Fucking rubber bullets..." Mikoto ducked behind the roof peak. "We got snipers! We can't do anything until they're gone..."

Now that all of the traps were useless, several men in gear and armed with guns with rubber bullets and tranquilizer darts began moving in on the house. They came in, checking corners and began moving down the main hall, past the car. Once they were at a safe enough distance, the machine exploded, setting fire to the walls around them. The sprinklers and various safety measures put the fire out before it became too large of an issue.

Hitsugi popped up from the railings up stairs and began shooting at the men, their enemies taking cover. They shot at her but couldn't get up fast enough, the turret in her hands firing too rapidly.

In the east side of the house, where there was no commotion, Batman entered the house, having been watching the events from afar. He ran through the halls, forgoing stealth as that wasn't the priority. Batman was forced to jump roll out of the way of a shot from behind. He glanced behind him but saw nothing there. Batman looked forward again just in time to weave his head out of the way of an incoming bullet. He saw Miki holding her gun, aiming it for his head. Batman reached for his batarangs but once again had to duck forward from a shot behind him and shots in front of him. He sprinted to the corner of a nearby wall, throwing the batarangs at Miki, who them shot down and then disappeared via a secret door in the wall of the manor.

Batman narrowed his eyes. _**"** **Secret passages in the manor… they're using them to attack me with it..."**_

Batman ducked again, glancing to his side to see Arashi having shot at him and then disappeared again. He exhaled sharply, closing his eyes. He walked back into the open and waited. He listened intently, paying deep attention to his surroundings.

" _ **Shift in their position, slow turn, breathing… Slight peek, confirmation of their target… One… two…"**_

The minute Miki and Arashi stepped out of their passageways did batarangs fly towards them. Arashi dodged the projectile but on the other side of the hall, Miki wasn't as lucky and had it embedded into her shoulder. She grunted, reaching and taking the offending object out but when she did, a misty gas blew into her face, knocking her unconscious on the ground. Arashi and Batman stood off, staring at each other.

Arashi then stood up straight and stowed his gun away. He took off his helmet and threw it to the ground. Understanding what he was doing, Batman stowed away his batarang and took off his cowl, showing his own face. Arashi reached into his back pocket and pulled out a syringe full of yellow liquid. He injected it into his neck before tossing it to the side. Arashi's veins began popping out of his skin, his eyes turning yellow and pupil becoming a thin slit.

Bruce narrowed his eyes. _"TX-56-1M… An experimental drug that hyper activates the body's functions, pushing them beyond normal human limits… He won't be able to feel pain and with that indicator gone, he can exert as much strength as he wants."_

Arashi crouched down like a cougar, slamming his hands on the floor and glaring at Bruce. He took up his stance, returning the glare. The moonlight from the window separated them, the two figures standing in the shadows.

The two rushed forward, coming into the middle, right in the light. They collided, arm against arm, pushing against each other, gritting their teeth.

"Show me what you got, kid."

* * *

Hitsugi began walking down the stairs, firing off heavy fire and keeping the pressure on the intruders. They kept their heads down, the bullets whizzing past them.

"I didn't sign up for this!"

Paulo, in his gear, crouched behind a railing above Hitsugi, who was walking down the stairs and getting closer to his men. He arrived separately from them per Batman's plan. He took out a grenade launcher and shot a grenade at Hitsugi, who glanced up. The woman jumped back but the smoke appeared in front of her face, allowing the men to scatter. Paulo turned his attention to the window, seeing a searchlight going through the windows of the house.

* * *

"Well, this is escalating fast." The slide of the gun was pulled back and then she aimed it at her two targets. The Red Vixen stood in the room of Ran and Mochizuki's with two of her men, aiming a gun at them. "It would be so easy to shoot you two right now."

Mochizuki glared at her and rolled in front of Ran's body, the barely conscious woman widening her eyes. "I'm not going to let you lay another finger on her."

Red Vixen raised her gun and hit Mochizuki in the face, knocking him out of the chair and onto the floor. He wiped his chin, glaring up at her. He was unable to move, his body too sickly to do so. Vixen aimed her gun at his cranium, sneering down at him.

"You and your damn excisions cost my brother his life. In the end, maybe going after Mikami and Kiba is the wrong way of getting my revenge. Maybe..." She turned off the safety, the gun making a 'click'. "I should put _you_ down instead."

Before she could even try, a figure stood in front of Mochizuki, arms wide and shielding him with their whole body. Mochizuki's eyes widened.

"Ran! What are you doing?! Get out of the way!"

She glared at Red Vixen potently, her body shaking as she struggled to stand on her feet. "Your brother… was a tumor that fed off society. He got what he deserved."

That sentence failed to make Red Vixen happy as she put the gun to Ran's head. "I won't..." She continued. "Let you harm him."

Red Vixen's nostrils were flaring, her angry eye see clearly through her shades. "Screw you, bitch." She hit Ran in the head with the gun, knocking her unconscious.

"Ran!" Mochizuki exclaimed.

Red Vixen walked over and kicked in the temple, knocking him out too. She turned to her men and nodded. "Take 'em."

* * *

Bruce and Arashi skid back, their force pushing each other away. The two charged again, Arashi pumping more energy than humanely possible into his legs. He spun and kicked Bruce in the side, knocking him away. He recovered with a flip but Arashi was quick, following up with an uppercut to the gut. The strike was powerful enough to send him flying into a wall, cracking the wall. Bruce forced himself to get up fast and avoid the wood crushing kick that Arashi sent his way. The boy glanced behind him, calm and collected despite the rush of adrenaline running through his system and dulling his pain sensors.

Bruce jumped back and Arashi jumped forward, mercilessly wailing on Bruce and forcing him to keep his guard up. The flurry of punches were fast and bone crippling. Had it not been for his armor, a lot of his body parts would've been broken by now. Seeing an opening, Bruce ducked beneath the next punch and hit Arashi with a finger jab beneath his arm. He shrugged it off, not feeling the impact and backhanded Bruce in the jaw. Bruce spun but balanced himself, standing his stance. Blood trickled down his chin but he ignored it. Arashi sprinted forward again, jumping and trying to kick Bruce in the face. Bruce blocked it with his right hand and finger jabbed Arashi behind his knee. The boy kicked Bruce in the chest with his other leg, landing no worse for the wear.

Bruce spat on the floor, wiping his chin and glaring at Arashi, who smirked at him. The boy ran towards him and threw another punch but Bruce stopped it, grabbing it with his hand.

"Enough." He said, his tone dripping with dignified finality.

Like lightening, Bruce used both of his hands to finger jab Arashi in the collarbone. The boy tried throwing several more punches but they were all either parried, dodged or buried. Bruce tagged him in his side, back and chest with finger jabs before making the boy skid back with a double palm strike to the chest.

Arashi took a step forward but suddenly collapsed, unable to move. His eyes widened in shock as he coughed up blood. The pain couldn't be felt but no matter how much he tried to move, his body refused to listen.

Bruce stood over him, his figure towering over Arashi's body. "The fact that you gave up your feeling of pain made you unable to recognize the pressure points being pinned all over your body. Even if you can ignore the pain, your body can't listen to you. All of the nervous signals that would activate it can no longer do so. You have no choice but to stay down."

With a front kick to the chin, Arashi was knocked to the ground, paralyzed. "I don't blame you for following your orders, for interrogating that man. I blame your naivete, your ignorance. Your blind following of a man who doesn't understand the damage he can cause. You annoy me greater than anybody else on this team… only because we're so alike. Wake up, kid. Your leader… doesn't have a clue of what he's doing."

Arashi couldn't respond, conscious but immobilized. Bruce threw his cowl back on and left Arashi lying there. He turned the corner of the hall, coming upon Miki's unconscious body. He looked down solemnly.

" _ **Thank you."**_ He silently thought. He ran forward, continuing his path down the hall. His ears picked up the sound of helicopters. **_"Mochizuki had Hijiri call in the SAT to counter the Vixen's men and aid them. I need to get this over with quickly."_**

He turned the corner and came to face to face with a ghostly figure. She sat on her knees, eyes closed, with her sword on her lap. Batman stopped short, exhaling softly as her eyes open, a sharp stare piercing his cowl as she stood to her feet.

"I've been waiting for you." She reached to the side of her hip and pulled out the katana, holding it to her side. "Be grateful in Death… that I was your surgeon. I won't give you any chance to feel the pain." Her brown hair began turning white. "Begin operation: Open fire!

* * *

The SAT team outside began entering the building, shooting at the various shadowy figures they saw. Vixen's men stayed down, shooting anesthetic grenades at the team. A few of the team managed to distract the snipers, coming up behind them and holding them up. The snipers pretended to hold their hands up but then kicked out the SAT's legs from beneath them and began a struggle. Seeing that they were no longer under pressure, Mikoto and Oriha began rushing inside to help.

* * *

Batman and Yuko ran forward, Yuko's sword speedily coming down at him. He blocked it with his gauntlet and she smirked.

"Interesting. You've changed the metal in your gauntlets. You adapt well. However..." Yuko raised her heel and a knife stuck out of it. She did a back flip and cut Bruce in the jaw. "So do I."

Batman threw several batarangs at her, the swordsman blocking them with her sword, cutting them in half. The last one she cut exploded but she jumped back in time, avoiding the brunt of the explosion. Batman had ran forward and jabbed her in the stomach. She recoiled from the blow, shifting her body out of the way of his other strikes. Batman took out two of his batarangs and held them in his hands like knifes. Yuko and Batman collided again, pushing against each other with all their might. Yuko pushed him off, cutting at him with several large, deadly slashes. He blocked them all and kicked her in the stomach, sending her onto her back. She quickly recovered with a back roll, jumping back when Batman tried to stomp on her while simultaneously cutting his chest with the tip of her sword.

Batman took up his stance and, grabbing her sword with both hands, Yuko took up hers. They stared at each other for a moment, looking past the masks and loyalty and seeing the pain in each other's souls. That's when they realized that the other had never had the left side of their chests feel so tight.

Yuko ran forward and jumped onto the wall. She flipped off and threw several golden kunai at Batman, who rolled out of the way. A thin, barely visible string on her hands attached to the kunai and when pulled it back, they tied around Batman's body. She ignited the string on fire and it speedily went towards him. Using the fins on his gauntlet, he cut through the string and flipped back, Yuko landing as well. Batman reached into his belt and pulled out several pellets. He threw them at her, smoke exploding around her. Yuko coughed, and calmly closed her eyes, feeling her senses.

" _Even if I can't see you..."_ She felt a shift in the air. _"I know where you are!"_

Turning her sword into the reverse position, she stabbed behind her, her blade coming into contact. She turned and saw she got Batman in his side. She turned edge of the blade upwards, the sword directly under his heart and prepared to end his life when he grabbed the blade by hand, stopping her. His gauntlets began to spark and the next thing Yuko knew, she was being electrified painfully. She stepped back, panting, with her sword still inside Batman. He took out the weapon and tossed it to the side, holding his own side to stop the blood. Yuko shook off the effects of the electricity and ran forward. She threw several quick strikes at Batman, who managed to block them and then she kicked him in the stomach, causing him to double over. She then used her legs to wrap them around his neck and flip him over, sending them on their backs. She used her leg hold to squeeze into his neck. Batman gritted his teeth before pulling out an electric batarang. He stuck it in her leg, activating the shock. She screamed and pain, loosening her hold and allowing him to get out. She grunted, pulled out out the batarang and stood up but was knocked down again as Batman gave her a cross to her face. Down but not out, clicked her heels, revealing the blades and shot them both into his gut. Batman growled in pain, pulling them out. Yuko stood up, wobbly, the pain of the shocks getting to her as well. They both panted, staring each other down. The tension was broken with a smirk from their lips.

" **You're not half bad/** You're not half bad."

* * *

Paulo ran through the halls, recalling the words of his mistress.

" _Paulo, the Bat requires the services of my men. He's sending you to fight the Black Label. However, considering this, I see a little chance for payback. Find either Mikami and Kiba. According to his plan, he should've taken one of them out by then. Put a bullet in their unconscious heads."_

" _Yes, mistress."_

Paulo stopped upon finding the fallen body of Arashi Mikami. The boy was conscious but apparently unable to move. That was fine with Paulo. The man took off his helmet and raised his gun, aiming it at his head.

"Goodbye, you who angered Red Vixen."

A bullet was shot and Paulo fell to the floor dead. Miki stood over his body, dazed and half-conscious. Shaking her head, she focused, quickly taking out a syringe.

"Stupid boy! What were you thinking, using that..."

* * *

Batman's and Yuko's fight was interrupted by bullets flying Batman's way. He rolled out of the way, crouching down behind a statue of a feudal samurai warrior armor. Yuko retreated behind Mikoto and Oriha, who fired at Batman. Taking out several batarangs, Batman threw them from cover, forcing Mikoto and Oriha to roll out of the way. Batman was suddenly forced to jump out of the way as a certain blue-haired nurse attempted to punch his head off, her fist colliding with the wall instead. She turned around and grabbed him by the cape but Batman shifted his body and threw her over his shoulder. She recovered with a roll before running up to him and trying to rip his neck off. He ducked but before knocking her mask off with his hand. Before she could do anything, Batman did something that surprised everyone present. He grabbed Sayo by the neck and kissed her firmly. Mikoto and Oriha gaped at the sight, Mikoto's cheeks crimson red. Yuko narrowed her eyes in suspicion before widening them in realization.

"Hitsugi!"

But it was too late. Batman had already placed the shockwave emitter to her stomach and activated it, sending her rolling like a ball into the wall. Mikoto and Oriha aimed their guns at him. Batman raised his hands as not only Mikoto and Oriha held him at bay but on the other side, so did the now awakened and un-paralyzed pair of Mikoto and Arashi, holding their guns at him.

Yuko picked up and raised her sword. "On my mark!"

* * *

Hunter landed from the windowpane onto the grass outside the mansion, having just completed her mission. She put her finger to her comm-link, avoiding the searchlight of the helicopter.

"Oracle, I've completed my mission. I've also gotten word from the Red Vixen. Her objective has been achieved as well. You're clear to commence your next part of the plan."

 _'Got it.'_

* * *

Before Yuko could lower her hand, a loud revving sound was heard and in a flash, an armored car burst through the wall over Miki and Arashi and landed beside Batman, knocking Sayo onto her back. This car was different from the first two. It was sleeker and had a more techno-race car feel to it. It was well armoured and seemed more gadget orientated than the first two. It also shared the same, shiny silver of the first two armored cars. Everyone immediately began shooting as Batman jumped into the car, the door on top shutting closed. Protected by the tinted windows, Batman activated a rocket that shot out at the roof of the mansion, setting the place on fire. Angrily, Sayo jumped onto the car and punched the window, the glass cracking. Batman quickly activated the afterburner, knocking her off as he sped out of the building through the hole the car made. Taking notice of the car, the helicopter followed from above.

Inside, the mansion roof began falling down as the fire picked up in strength.

"Evacuate, everyone!" Yuko exclaimed. Black Label began running out of the building, Oriha stopping upon passing the large picture of her mother. She grimaced upon seeing it burn before shutting her eyes painfully and running on.

Inside, Vixen's men began escaping and the captain of the SAT team radioed in. "Captain Hijiri! They are several assailants escaping! Should we pursue?"

 _'No. Only go after the Batman.'_

"Understood." The man made a hand motion and they all began retreating to their vehicles. Vixen's snipers had knocked out the SATs that snuck on them and took their armour and left in plain sight.

Yuko busted into the room of Mochizuki's, seeing that he was gone. Her eyes widened in revelation. _"He distracted us… he had no other intention except capturing Mochizuki-sensei and Fiona! Damn him…!"_

Yuko jumped out of the window and rejoined everybody in the front. Confused as to why she didn't have Mochizuki and Ran, the team ran after her when sprinted past them. The fire began spewing flames and Oriha glanced back one last time at her house, a small flutter of tears flying behind her, before blinking several times, drowning them away.

* * *

Batman drove the car through the trees, whipping around them expertly before riding off a mound and landing on the freeway. He revved his car and sped away, helicopters following from above. He heard the cop sirens getting closer.

From above, the helicopter broadcasted the chase on the news. Akemi watched in the private room of her house. She sighed, her mind wandering to her father's health before mentally snapping back to reality.

" _Good. The first part of the plan the Batman and I formulated is done. Now, my part finally begins..."_

She picked up her phone and called a number.

 _'Yes?'_

"Hello, Captain Hijiri. I have something important to discuss with you..."

 _'Who is this?'_

"Your true enemy – the shadow. I am the one who has blown up the police headquarters around the city."

 _'W-what?!'_

"Don't even try it. You won't be able to track me with your technology. And if you would like proof of I who I say I am..."

In Hijiri's office, he sat at his computer on the phone. The headquarters he sat in had just finished getting rebuilt, the first of a few. In his email, he was sent something from an unknown person. When he opened it, his eyes widened.

"Wha-what?! How did you get ahold of this?"

 _'That's none of your concern. Listen carefully, I am ready to release this video across the globe and expose you for what you really are. You would be endangered and may even get thrown in jail for life. At worse, you could get the death penalty.'_

" _Damn!"_ Hijiri thought in frustration. _"There's no way to figure out who this is! I can't even tell if it's a man or a woman!"_

 _'Here is what you will do – First off, you will call off the search for the Batman.'_

" _Is this person allies with the Batman? If_ _this guy_ _was really working with the shadow, wouldn't they want me to keep the chase going? Why…?"_ Hijiri sighed picking up his other phone line. "Namikawa, can you hear me?"

 _'Loud and clear, sir.'_

"Abort the chase on the Batman. I repeat, abort the chase."

 _'Yes, sir.'_

"Alright," He told Benzaiten. "It's done."

 _'Good. Next, I am sending you a file. Open it and let me know when you do.'_

Hijiri opened his web browser and turned on his email, his eyes widening when he saw what it was. "This is..."

 _'Yes. A promotion slip for police officer 02760. Konomi Suzue.'_

"But she died!"

 _'Incorrect. She is currently hiding out somewhere in the city, under my discretion. I want you to declare her a sergeant directly under you and lieutenant Ogawa. Release a public statement that her death was staged so there would be no suspicion when she infiltrated some drug operation. Tell them anything that sounds believable.'_

Hijiri clicked his teeth in frustration. _"I don't understand… What would the shadow that blew up the police headquarters gain from instilling another cop into the force? I don't get it… is this person really fighting against the Batman… or is this one of his allies in disguise?!"_

 _'You will take all of your orders from her. I will be giving them to her to relay to you but ultimately, you will remain in your seat as a figurehead with me in true control. You will continue to obey your Black Label associates so as to keep face but soon, you will have them arrested.'_

"How are you so sure that I'm not deathly loyal to Black Label? That I won't just tell them despite anything that happens to me."

 _'Because it won't just affect you. It will affect the one you love too, emotionally. And you can't bare to do that to her, can you?'_

" _This bastard! Maybe he does work for the shadow after all..."_

Fujino sat in her chair, dialing a message to the Vixen, reading "Do it". "Finally," Akemi continued. "I want you to remember who you're dealing with. If you ever try to cross me, if I ever even suspect you of trying to find a loophole in my words, I will release this video across the world and you will be executed, regardless of your intentions. Remember who you're dealing with, Hijiri Hamasaki." A rumble was heard on the side of his phone and she smiled upon hearing it. "Don't worry. That was one of the construction sites for the police headquarters being rebuilt. No one was there or around it. Keep this in mind, Captain. You're _my_ hostage."

The phone shut off and Akemi sat back, crossing her legs. She put her phone to her ear, calling the number Batman had given her. "It's done."

 _ **'Good. The first part of the plan has been executed on my part as well. Black Label has lost its second base, its leaders have been captured by me and one of its strongest assets, the police, is no longer in their control. These people have been crippled. Soon enough, we'll get justice for your father.'**_

Akemi smiled softly. "I appreciate that, Batman."

She shut off the phone and recounted the experience in her head, her mind wandering back to when she and Batman investigated the room where her father had a heart attack.

* * *

 _Fujino and Bruce walked through the door of her house, coming up to the maid._

" _Please, forgive me, Akemi-sama." Memma bowed apologetically. "If only I were here, I could've protected your father..."_

" _Stop, Memma. I won't allow you to blame yourself." She insisted, walking up to her maid and raising her back upright. "There's nothing that could've been done. Please, don't torture yourself over something that was out of your hands." Akemi graciously kissed her servant's forehead as a sign of forgiveness._

" _Please, ma'am, is there anything that I can do for you?" Her eyes seemed almost pleading, wanting in some way to make herself useful to her master._

 _Smiling sweetly, Fujino simply said, "Some tea would calm the nerves, Memma."_

" _Yes, my lady, right away." Memma rushed to the kitchen, leaving Bruce and Akemi alone. She motioned for him to follow her and they walked upstairs, down the hall and came to her father's room, where he had his heart attack. Akemi and Bruce began inspecting the room, with her going to the bed and Bruce walking over to the window sill._

" _Dirt on the windowpane… This is how they infiltrated the house. Probably parked the motorcycle several blocks back and made their way here by foot..." Bruce surmised._

" _The sight of them alone wouldn't be enough to scare my father… They had to have done some psychological tactics, something to push his mind beyond the limits he had. However, if they did do this, something doesn't add up."_

" _I know. If they are the ones who did this, then how is has this not happened in the past? There has been a least several months of reports about an Iron Masked gunman. I suspect that at least a few of their leads on criminals had to come from civilians like your father, who had no heart condition of any kind. Psychological torture like this couldn't have just happened now as a coincidence..."_

" _It is odd that my father would get a heart attack by these people only when it's made apparent that you and I have come in contact… there may be someone after us."_

" _Perhaps… if that's the case, then the original Iron Mask is not the one who did this."_

" _No… but Mochizuki definitely had a part in this. If not, by now, he would've found some way to prevent a war between you two, even if meant broadcasting it. He knows who did this and is trying to keep it hidden, willing to fight you to keep it secret. Mochizuki will need to be extracted and questioned."_

" _Agreed."_

* * *

"Oh, thank God you're okay..." Konomi ran up and hugged Batman, the man taking off his cowl.

"I told you-"

"Shut up, you idiot! You had me worried to death!" She slammed her fists on his chest before hugging him again.

"Ow!"

"I'm just so happy you're okay..." She softly uttered.

Bruce smiled down at her, kissing the top of head. "Told you."

Hunter and Red Vixen came down the elevator of the Cave, walking up to the two. "Where is he?" Bruce asked Vixen.

"I've set him up in one of my safehouses. He won't be found any time soon."

"I want to interrogate him as soon as possible."

"Wait," Hunter exclaimed, her fingers lightly touching his cut wound. "You should get that fixed first!"

"I'll be fine." Bruce insisted. "Oracle, I-" Bruce made the bad mistake of looking at Konomi, who glared up at him crossly.

"Sit!" She ordered, pointing down to his chair.

Bruce sighed, sitting down in the chair and lifting up his body armor, revealing the wound. In the background, Vixen gave a stifled snicker at his obedience but it was quickly shut down by a glare from Oracle herself. Konomi took out a medical kit and began to work. Due to the many injuries he had acquired, she was getting decently good at repairing the wounds and could handle the process calmly now, though it still made her uncomfortable seeing a bunch of them all over Bruce's body.

"Oh," Hunter began, taking out a flashdrive. "I've got the data you wanted." She walked up to the computer. "I did as you said. While you distracted Black Label and took out their defenses and Red Vixen would capture their leader, I snuck in and found their secret computer. I siphoned all their information via Oracle's instructions and then snuck out without being seen. It's all here."

After patching Bruce up, Konomi glanced up at the computer and checked the file. She tried to open it but nearly went slack-jawed after trying. "Woah… there's so may codes on this file, it's ridiculous. It'll take forever to de-code it… weeks even."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "That means whatever is in there is useful to us. Get to work." He told Konomi as he stood up and throw his cowl over his face. **"I'm going to have a word with Masamune Mochizuki."**

* * *

After getting to a safe enough distance, Black Label stood on a hill, tired and beaten. They watched the plumes of smoke rise into the air, the symbol of their destroyed base.

Oriha watched it dully, her mind wandering to the uncomfortable memories of her past. _"Again… another_ _house_ _burned down again… To ashes… because of another bad man… because of the Batman..."_

Yuko's hair flowed in the wind, a fierce look in her eye as she stared it down. She turned her back on the base, her hair covering her eyes. "Oriha… I know what that house means to you but the fire can clearly be seen from the city. If we don't let investigators come to the scene, it will make you seem suspicious. We need to blow it up, destroy the evidence."

"I understand…" She said, deadpanned. She rose up and pulled out a trigger. She pressed the button and watched her mother's house blow up, destroying the land and everything in it. A transparent, tasteless tear fell down her eye, a tear that her numb cheek couldn't feel.

* * *

"Damn, what the hell is going on out there?"

Rouga peered out the window of his shared office, looking out into the distance and seeing a pillar of smoke. Throughout the entire night, loud sounds like explosions and sirens could be heard.

"Maybe there's something about it on the news..." He took out his phone and began scrolling through the browser when he stopped cold upon feeling something was off. He turned to his right and jumped back upon seeing a masked woman standing before him. She wore an all black leather suit with a mask covering half her face and her hair tied in a long pony tail. She had purple eyes that looked dead.

"Who the hell are you?!"

She didn't answer him, merely spraying his face with a misty gas, putting him to sleep. She stood over his body, sighing in sadness.

"Please, forgive me..." She quietly said before picking him up and then disappearing into the night.

* * *

In the hospital room, Akemi's father lay in his bed awake, staring out at the night sky. He looked toward the moon and thought of his daughter. He smiled softly and then his thoughts moved to his late wife.

"How I miss you… my dear wife..."

"You'll join her soon enough." Before the man could react, a shadowy hand was put to his mouth and a silenced pistol to his head. The trigger was pulled and bullet ended the man's life. The figure hit the button that called the nurse and then exited through the window, disappearing with the wind.

* * *

A.N. First update of the new year! Hope you guys like it and if you did, let me know what you thought. Also, I just wanted to inform any who are interested that I've got a lot of stories with Batman/[Insert title you NEVER expect him to be crossed over with] in the making. I mean, it's really grotesque how many ideas I have and are actually working on. Just to give you guys an idea, I'll give you a few ideas I'm expanding: Batman/Black Widow, Batman/Darkchylde, Batman/Battle Chasers, and a bunch of oneshots featuring him crossing over with fighting games. Crazy, isn't it? If you want to stay updated on it, follow me! Oh, and speaking of the fighting genre, what do you guys think of a story revolving around Batman, in his younger days, training at the Ryonzanpaku dojo? If you find the idea interesting, I've got a poll on my profile that I've started now so that way I can see the results over time because I probably won't be publishing that story for awhile (I've got so many others!). Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time.

Green out.


	18. Chapter 18: Orphaned

" _Yeah… uh… Hah, you know who you messin' wit_

 _The merriest flight risk_

 _Gonna flash a punch into your right_

 _Eye_

 _Say goodbye when you look at me the wrong way_

 _Gimme the keys cuz I'm here to stay_

 _Ay!_

 _Got a bone to pick wit each one of ya fakers_

 _Get out ya papers_

 _Cuz you bout to get schooled_

 _Bout to educate ya'll, bout to make you look fooled_

 _I'm like a vampire_

 _Sucking out your blood_

 _Leaving ya lifeless_

 _Beggin' for mercy_

 _Ya curse me_

 _But ya ain't shit_

 _I can't be touched, yo_

 _I can't be hit, though!_

 _I-"_

" _Akemi! Akemi, can you come down here?"_

" _Ugh… what is it, kaa-san?"_

" _Just come down here, please."_

 _Fourteen year old Akemi Fujino exasperatedly sighed and stowed her microphone and headphones and ran downstairs to her mother's beckon. Her mother, an older visual version of Akemi herself, smiled happily upon seeing her daughter come down. Her daughter, on the other hand, looked annoyed at having been interrupted._

" _Yes?" Akemi asked impatiently._

 _Aimi Fujino, Akemi's mother, deciding to ignore her daughter's annoyance and instead, happily give her a package. Akemi raised an eyebrow in interest and, without hesitation, opened it. Inside was a cap that said 'Rapper' in Japanese. Shocked, Fujino glanced up at her mother, who simply smiled._

" _Kaa-san, what is..."_

" _I know your father and I were a bit harsh when we found out about your… hobby but we've talked about it and… maybe we were a little too quick to judge. It was surprising to hear about your interest in Western music… but… if you really enjoy it, then… I see no reason to… stop you."_

 _Akemi smiled, glancing down at the cap. She knew how hard it was for her mother to accept her taste in music and she appreciated her sentiment with all of her heart. She reached out and hugged her mother, the woman reciprocating her daughter's embrace tightly. After parting, Aimi smiled at her daughter walking to the kitchen table and grabbing her purse._

" _Alright, come on. We need to open up a bank account for you. When you start your new job, you'll need to have somewhere to store that money."_

" _Right." Akemi took the hat out of the box and put on her head, smiling at her mother and giving her a cheeky thumbs-up._

 _The two left the house, walking the street to the bank._

" _It's still so hard to believe that my young daughter is going to college already! How amazing… You may very well be a genius, Akemi!"_

 _Akemi smiled. "Nah, it's probably just because school was so easy..."_

" _I do hope college life will be easier on you. You had no friends in your other school..."_

 _Akemi sighed loudly. "Ugh, this again? What does it matter, anyway… Friends are just a waste of time..."_

" _Akemi, I wish you would stop saying that. Friends are wonderful. Maybe if you were a little more softer and lady-like."_

" _I prefer the way I am now, thank you very much."_

" _I know, I know..."_

" _I'm sure my little sister will be like that anyway."_

 _Aimi smiled, touching her stomach. "We don't if it's a boy or a girl. I'm only a month pregnant."_

" _It's a good thing I don't have any friends, too, because we're moving to Tobioka City next year to get a new house. More room for the baby and all that."_

" _You'll like it. I hear the city is full of friendly people."_

 _The two stopped in front of the bank, walking inside and stopping at the line. The line was of few people, surprisingly, as the bank wasn't that full. Just as the clerk said next did a man burst into the building, shooting a gun into the air._

" _Everyone, put your fucking hands in the motherfucking air! This is a robbery! Anybody calls the damn cops gets capped right in the motherfucking face!"_

" _Oh, my God..." Aimi covered her daughter and crouched down. Akemi nervously glanced up to see the man walk up the counter beside them, kicking her mother to the side._

" _Move, bitch!"_

" _Kaa-san!" Akemi exclaimed, sitting next to her mother._

" _Listen, motherfuckers," The man smirked evilly and pointed a gun at the clerk. "Give me all the money in this bitch and put it in here." He tossed him a bag._

" _A-alright, just please don't hurt me!"_

 _The man shot the clerk in the head, grabbing the bag and tossing it to another clerk. "Go, motherfucker!"_

 _The clerk ran off to the vault while everyone inside shook with fear, trembling as the man pointed the gun around wildly.  
_

" _Remember my name, shitstains! I am the Hammer and I'm here to kill!" The man grabbed the money and then glanced down at the Fujino women. Raising a brow in interest, he grabbed Akemi by the arm. "Maybe you'd like to feel my hammer, bitch? What do ya say?"_

" _Let her go!" Aimi exclaimed, grabbing him by the arm._

" _Quiet, you fucking bitch!" He kicked her to the floor and shot her in the stomach once, then shot her in the chest twice._

" _KAA-SAN!" Akemi screamed. The man threw her down upon hearing sirens._

" _Tch, fucking coppers!" The man sprinted around the counter and ran to the back door, leaving Akemi to cry over her dead mother's body. She shook her body, a vain attempt to wake her up but she was gone, the blood of her corpse all over Akemi's palms. Tears fell to the floor, mixing with her mother's blood._

* * *

Mochizuki slowly opened his eyes, a dark light over his head. He blinked several times before glancing down at his body. He saw that he was tightly strapped to a table in a dark room. He glanced to his right to see Ran was also tied to the table, having just woken up.

" **Glad to see you have rested well. I hope you've had nice dreams because these next few days will be nothing but a nightmare."**

"You..." Mochizuki glared at the Batman, who emerged from the shadows, eyes steady and his cape draped around his body majestically. He walked toward the center of the room, turning to face Mochizuki's table.

" **There's far too many things I need to extract from you but let's start simple: Who is the man that gave Hayato Fujino a heart attack?"**

Mochizuki glared at Batman. "...You've figured it out?"

" **Arashi isn't so lack of control that he would accidentally give somebody a heart attack. I understand how his mind works."**

Mochizuki smirked mysteriously. "I doubt that."

Batman grabbed the doctor by his neck, squeezing and gritting his teeth. **"Tell me what I want to know."**

"There's nothing you can do to get anything out of me, Komori. No amount of pain can get me to talk."

Batman reached into his belt and pulled out an electric batarang. **"You're probably right… there's nothing I could to you physically that could get you to talk… but what about emotionally?"** Batman turned around and stabbed Ran in the leg, activating the gadget and shocking her greatly.

"Stop, stop!" Mochizuki tried to struggle, but it amounted to naught as Batman stared at him coldly, shocking Ran until she was panting painfully.

" **Who snuck into the house of Hayato Fujino and gave him a heart attack? Someone scared him before Mikami even got there, someone wearing a similar outfit to him. Someone _you_ know. Tell me!"**

"Don't..." Ran pleaded weakly to Mochizuki. "Don't… We… can't..."

" **Tell me,"** Batman reached behind his back and pulled out a black wooden baton. **"Or she suffers."**

Mochizuki bit his tongue, trying to figure out a way around it. Batman didn't feel like giving him the chance and slammed the weapon against Ran's stomach, causing her to cry out loudly in pain.

"Ran!"

Batman did it again, harder. Redness could be seen building up in her stomach. **"Answer me! Who did it? Who gave the man a heart attack?!"**

"Inunaki! Shinichiro… Inunaki…"

Batman's memory flashed back to the time he snuck through the facility and had heard the name.

" **Who is he?"** Batman demanded roughly. When he got no answer, he hit Ran's stomach again. **"Who is he?!"**

"He's a former member of Ampule Zero. He left years ago for reasons unknown and only contacts us. It's nearly impossible to contact him. He wears an attire similar to Arashi's… when Ampule One arrived at the scene, he already saw the man standing over Hayato. He couldn't even ask him about the situation as the man escaped before they got a chance..."

Batman walked over to Mochizuki and roughly grabbed his neck, choking him slightly. **"And the reason you made sure I wouldn't hear about who did it, the reason you were willing to let me attack you and torture you, was because you didn't want to give up a potential ace-in-the-hole."**

"For one who's willing to torture an injured woman, you act incredibly self-righteous..."

" **I'm no boyscout but I'll _never_ be like you."**

Mochizuki glanced up at Batman, smiling at him. "Not yet."

* * *

Rouga opened his eyes slowly, his fuzzy vision getting accustomed to the darkness around him. His senses slowly became sharper and he realized that he was in a cell, strapped to a bed and without a shirt. He tried to struggle but quickly found it useless. He sighed and laid his head back, quickly lifting it again when the door opened and the lights flashed on, nearly blinding him.

"Oh, hello, hello!" A short, pudgy man came in wearing a Yakuza mask. "How is our guest doing today?"

" _What does he think, I'm stupid?"_ "Cut the crap, Tobishiro! No mask can disguise that hideous face of yours!"

Rouga nearly smirked in satisfaction when he heard an angry grinding of teeth behind the red mask. The man snapped his fingers and a woman wearing a veil that covered half of her face and domanatrix clothing walked in, handing him a whip.

"Watch your mouth, you pretty boy piece of brown shit!" The man whipped Rouga with every word, emphasizing each one as he finished the sentence.

Rouga panted, his chest stinging in pain.

"Don't worry," The man handed the whip back to his servant. "We won't start the ceremony just yet. We still need your friend, Komori."

"Oh, yeah? What's wrong, Tobishiro-chan? 'Fraid of a little competition? Afraid we're gonna one-up your business?"

"Heh! You're just an investor that's been operating in my shadow." Tobishiro put his hands near his head and danced around, putting on a mock Indian accent. "Oh, look at me! I think I can come to Japan and worship cows and make honest businessmen look bad!"

Rouga groaned, spitting on the man's shirt, the blood stain making it red. "I'm Bangladeshi, you dumbass. If you're going to be a racist piece of shit, at least do it right because you're making the other racist piece of shits look bad… which is saying something."

Angrily, Tobishiro slapped Rouga in the face, the man only smiling in response, angering him further. Tobishiro exhaled calmly, fixing his suit. "Once I get rid of you, everyone will understand who not to mess with. Of course, it doesn't _have_ to be that way. Tell you what, Shiro-san, if you'll obey everything I say, I won't do anything to you."

Rouga glanced up at him, his hair over his eyes coolly. "And Komori?"

"He's another matter."

Rouga looked away sharply. "Then fuck you. I'm not doing anything unless I know he's safe too… that guy… is good. I'm not going to let you kill one of Tobioka's most sincere businessmen… Hell, he may be the only one..."

"No! I'm the only proper, gentlemanly guy in this city!" He turned to his assistant. "Tell them!"

"You-"

"Too slow, you bitch!" He angrily pulled her down and punch her in cheek, knocking her to the floor. He stomped on her side several times before turning back around, seething.

Rouga glared at the man. _"Piece of shit..."_

"You just wait until I get Komori!" He pointed his finger at him and then began walking out of the door, kicking the downed woman. "Guard him, you idiot!"

"Understood, sir..." She said softly, rising to her feet. Rouga stared at her for a moment, the woman briefly glancing at him.

"Why?" He couldn't resist asking. "Why do you take orders from what seems to be the result of Santa cheating on his wife with an elf on crack? You could just snap his neck and be done with it, no? So… why?"

She didn't reply, simply turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. The room became dark again and Rouga lowered his head, alone.

* * *

Yuko sat on the rooftop, her eyes closed. She meditated deeply, breathing in and out. She was attempting to calm herself, trying to clear her mind of all anger and rage. She breathed out, feeling the nature around her. She could feel it – the people walking through the streets, the birds chirping, the movement of the wind and her friend walking up behind her.

"What is it, Miki?"

"For the love of… how the hell do you always do that?" She asked, knowing she would get no answer. She never did.

Yuko simply glanced over her shoulder and smirked. Miki sighed and continued. "Everyone's awake and gathered… except Arashi."

"Where is he?"

"Resting, I think. The drug put his body in a hyperactive mode and now, he's going to have to go through hell for using it."

"The effects are only temporary. He'll be fine, he's strong."

Miki nodded and Yuko stood up, following her friend inside. The group was currently gathered inside a hotel room, deeming it unsafe to go to anyone of their houses. Hitsugi sat on the bed, brooding. Oriha sat against the wall, her head down in sadness and Mikoto sat on a couch, looking disappointed as well. In the bed, Arashi lay, pale and sickly.

" _What a state we've become..."_ Yuko mentally remarked.

"He got us…" Sayo said. "That bastard came right up into our house and burned it down, taking our leader with him… "

Mikoto and Oriha sighed sadly. Yuko tapped the sheath of her sword on the floor twice, attracting their attention. "It's okay… We can find him and extract him. Mochizuki-sensei will be fine… We only need to locate him and secure him."

"We need some way to draw him out, track him down." Miki suggested.

"I may be able to help with that." Everyone jumped and pulled out their weapons upon seeing who walked into the room – Shinichiro Inunaki himself.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Mikoto exclaimed.

"Woah, woah..." He raised his hands slowly. "Such a greeting! I figured I'd stop by and say hello considering we didn't have enough time to exchange formalities earlier."

"You mean when Arashi and I came in through the window to see the guy holding his chest in pain?"

"Well, that was accident."

"Don't play us, Shinichiro!" Miki shouted, taking the safety off of her gun with a click. "You're the entire reason why our base got burned down!"

"Really, I thought it was the Batman's fault?"

"Everyone, put your guns down!" Yuko commanded. Reluctantly, the group listened. Yuko walked over to Shinichiro. "How did you find us?"

"Why, I followed you, of course.""

"You were watching the events of the raid?"

"From the treelines." He replied coyly.

Yuko sighed, getting annoyed. "What do you want?"

"I heard that Mochizuki-sensei has been captured and I simply wanted to offer my services."

Mikoto glared at him. "Why did you do that to that man? He was an innocent, for Christs' sakes!"

He shrugged callously. "Accidents happen."

Yuko scowled and, in a flash, socked him in the face, knocking him on his rear. Rubbing his face, the man glanced up to see her glaring down at him. "Your services aren't required here. Get out."

He chuckled before holding up his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright… However, let me give you a bit of information. During the raid on Oriha's house, the men who stormed in weren't ordinary mercenaries. Apparently, they were working for some woman, a famous underground information broker known as the Red Vixen."

Mikoto's eyes widened in recognition. "The Red Vixen?!"

"Now, if you'll excuse me..." He turned around with a snide smile and walked out of the door, leaving them to their meeting.

"Does this mean that the Red Vixen is working for the Batman?!" Sayo asked.

Yuko sighed, rubbing her eyes in exasperation. "She probably sought protection with him from us, figuring he would take her in."

Everyone turned their heads to the sound of Arashi coughing as he sat up in his bed. "I have… an idea…"

"Arashi!" Yuko exclaimed. "You shouldn't push yourself… your body is still recovering."

Arashi clutched his chest, his eyes wild and brazen. "I'm fine… this is nothing… Listen, I know how we can save Mochizuki-sensei…"

* * *

Konomi sat at the computer, having been there for hours. At her side were three wrappers of Big Burgers. She was currently eating her fourth one, having gotten halfway through. She sighed and sat back in the chair, having been working on the code to the files. The files were actually bits of information, each file encoded in an extremely interwoven layer of "locks". Konomi had no clue had many files there were but she had spent all night deciphering one file.

" _I guess that's just how valuable this information is… Even with my hacking skills, this will take a long time..."_

"Still trying to decrypt those files, eh?" Red Vixen stood in the doorway of the room, smoking her pipe.

"It's a long process… this goes beyond even government-level cuber-security. I'm the only one who can do it. Batman will be occupied with Mochizuki so it's up to me. He trusts me to do this in his place… so I'll get it done!"

"Good for you." Red Vixen replied, glancing away. _"Paulo… why aren't you answering the phone? Did something happen?"_

A beep went off on Konomi's watch and she quickly stood up, grabbing a tray of food. She walked down the hall of the Batcave until she stopped in front of the door to Emi's cell room. She opened the door, kicking it closed behind her.

"Lunchtime." She chirped, walking over to the wall, where Emi sat dejected. Konomi placed the tray down in front of her but the girl had no reaction, just staring dully at the floor.

"It's okay..." Konomi said softly, sitting against the wall across from her. "You don't have to eat right now if you don't want to."

"...understand..." Emi mumbled.

"What did you say?"

"I don't understand… why are you doing this? Why be kind to me – after all I've done… and tried to do…"

"I knew your mother… she was the one who taught me how to be a cop. She treated me nicely and was patient with me. I know that she wouldn't have a daughter who could be like that in any other circumstance. And I know… it's only the pain that made drove you to do that."

Emi laughed hollowly. "Yeah, that sounds like her… Always happy, nice… pretty… kind..." Emi choked on her words and glanced away, shutting her eyes painfully.

"I'm sorry..." Konomi offered. "I'm sorry this happened to you. But please, I want to help you. I want to be your friend and help you. I can let you out of here. I just have to be sure you won't do anything like what you did to me again."

Tears fell down Emi's soft skin, her eyes bewildered and confused. "I don't… I don't know what to do..."

Konomi moved tray out of the way and slowly turned the girl's head forward. She grabbed Emi's hand and gently stared into her eyes, showing assurity and warmth. The girl's tears built up quicker and flooded down her face as she wrapped her arms around Konomi, crying on her breast. Konomi only shushed her softly, stroked her hair and held her.

* * *

"Did you kill him?"

"Yeah. Snuck in there when it was quiet then killed the man just as Hunt ordered."

"Good. Now, Aranami should be getting worried. He's known someone was after him for awhile and has been switching locations on us but with his executives getting murdered left and right, he should eventually stop and forge some kind of stronghold, making it easier for us to get to him."

"What about Benzaiten?"

"Ah… I heard the report he gave. Told us that the Batman could easily be between the ages of 18-56, could be native or foreign and might not even be male."

"What? What kind of report is that? We could've guessed that! Is this Benzaiten really of any use?"

"Yes. Hunt has actually gotten on board after hearing this report."

"Why?"

"Says that Benzaiten already knows who the Batman is. The suspiciously vague report supports this and also says that by now, the 'World's Greatest Detective' would have some inkling to who he was. Hunt thinks that Benzaiten and Batman are in league together, figuring that we could use him. If we find Benzaiten… we can torture the identity of the Batman out of him."

"So that's what the Princess was getting at..."

"Yeah."

"So, where is Hunt, anyway?"

"Running an errand for Hime-sama."

* * *

Batman stood on the elevator as it descended down, stepping off it when it did. Konomi sat at the computer, taking notice of Batman when he walked up. She saw his bloody hands and instinctively grabbed a towel, took hold of his hand and began wiping it off.

" **Progress report."**

"I've opened a few but they're nothing but bits of information. They were the easiest ones to open and the rest will take much longer..."

" **When you've found out anything about past and current members, bases location, weapons, alert me immediately."**

"Got it." She finished off wiping his hand. Batman took of his cowl as Konomi tossed the cowl to the side. "She's doing better, you know."

"I'm glad to hear it. Your nurturing helps."

She smiled up at him, stroking his arm. "What happened in the room Vixen gave to you?"

"They told me about this man, Inunaki, a former member of Ampule Zero. Even they don't know enough about him and there's nothing substantial they have on the databases. I couldn't question them further as Ran passed out and Mochizuki had no other motivation to talk. There's so much I can do to the woman."

"Be careful. We still don't know what they might try to do to get their leader back."

"I'm more wary about the hidden player – Inunaki. Mochizuki has something he's planning, a method he hid Inunaki for. I just don't know what it is..." He took off his suit, hanging his cape in the case. "Konomi, have you received the promotion notice from the police captain?"

"Yeah..." She replied, her voice dripping with anxiety.

"Are you okay?"

"I… I guess… I mean, it's just that it's so weird… after hearing your plan to get me to be a police officer again, I was happy to hear it but… having so many men's lives at our disposal is a little overwhelming. It seems like it's too much power, that it could easily get misused."

"You're right… that's why I'm giving it to you."

Konomi whipped her head to his direction, her eyes wide in disbelief. "What?"

"Benzaiten decided to tell Hijiri that he was to take orders from you as those orders would come from the 'shadow'. He'll believe this, never actually knowing that you are in charge the whole time. Naturally, I'll still require uses of the police but I'm going to leave their direction and operations to you."

Konomi sprang up from the chair, running up to him in a panicky motion. "B-but I'm not ready for this! I'm not a leader! I can't be responsible for lives, I can't- I can't…!"

"That's not true." Bruce insisted. "You've proven yourself capable of handling lives right down here. You have a natural talent for leadership and can keep the police moving in the right direction. So long as we have Hijiri think we have leverage over him, he'll never expose you. Also, most of the captain's duties still fall on him but everything else – who gets hired, fired, used, promoted, is up to you. He's the surface, you're the water. I know you can do this, Oracle."

Konomi sighed, relaxing her body. She smiled at Bruce and hugged him, burying her head on his chest. "Okay, I'll do it. I'll do my best."

"Good." He replied, wrapping his arm around her in turn.

* * *

Now, walking down the street, Bruce began making his way to work. His phone vibrated and he picked it up, putting it to his ear.

 _'Komori…'_

"Akemi? Is something wrong?"

 _'Something terrible happened… My father… he-'_

Bruce never heard the end of the sentence as the phone was knocked out of his hand with a bat. Bruce spun around to see two hoodlums smirking at him. He glared at them as one of them stomped on his phone, cracking it beneath his feet.

"Hey, ossan… how much yen do ya got in your wallet right now? Mind showing it to us?"

"Go home." Bruce ordered them.

"What's the matter, motherfucker? Scared?"

"Last chance… **Go… home."**

"Yeah… fuck you, bitch!" The man swung at Bruce's head but when the weapon made contact, the bat split in half, the top piece falling into the street. "H-holy shit..."

BAM!

One hard punch to the face and the man was knocked out, bleeding out of his broken nose. Bruce turned his attention to the other, who raised his hands in surrender. When Bruce turned around, he expected the thief to try something but was surprised when instead, he was shot in the neck with a blow-dart. Bruce wobbled for a moment, before falling to the street on his face.

"Whoa… what the hell? WHOA! Who the fuck are you? A ninja?! No, no, no…! Help-"

Bruce's vision faded to black as he heard a sharp twist of the neck.

* * *

A.N.: Short chapter but I hope you guys enjoyed it! And just to reiterate, this is my version of Batman and it is year two Batman, so no, he is not at the point where he can sense silent darts flying through the air. Year three, yeah, but year two, no. Thanks, guys and see ya next chapter!

Green out.


	19. Chapter 19: Payback

A.N.: I just wanted to clarify, for anyone who reads the reviews, and/or has thought the same thing while reading the story, the character Rouga Shiro is _not_ from the series Triage X. He is an OC I came up with solely for the story. If there is a person named Rouga in Triage X with the same last name I came up with for him, the same origin, the same looks and everything, then that is an amazing coincidence. There is only one person who has a similar description to Rouga but he is an entire foot taller and has yet to show his face. I just wanted that to be clear while you read this story. Also, for the newcomers, please, don't forget to list your harem preferences and let me know what you think of the story! Thanks and enjoy!

* * *

"Hurry, Onee-chan! The toy store's gonna close!"

"Alright." She laughed. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

"Come on!"

"Hurry, hurry!"

Yuu walked the streets with her triplet brothers, the excited little buggers sprinting to the toy store, eager to buy new action figures and race car toys.

" _Damn TV ads and sugar..."_ Stopping at the store, she opened the door for them and the green-haired boys excitedly ran inside. She smiled softly upon seeing them run, remembering when they were babies. Her smile slowly disappeared when her mind began recalling her mother and, perhaps even worse, her father. She shut her eyes, forcing the images to disappear. _"Scum… both of them..."_

"Yuu-chan!"

Yuu opened her eyes upon seeing her best friend, Hinako, standing in front of her. Yuu smiled widely, reaching and hugging her tightly.

"Hinako, it's good to see you again. What are you doing here?"

"I'm buying some toys for the kids at the daycare. They wanted all sorts of things and I had to put it on the list. At this rate, I'm gonna end up broke." She glanced behind her, seeing Yuu's brothers pick out toys and coloring books. "Aw, they're so cute..."

Yuu tilted her head, her eyes glistening in maternal sweetness. "Yeah… they're angels." She turned her attention back to her friend. "Listen, I want to apologize for being so busy… When I have time, I wanna come by and eat at your restaurant again."

Hinako nodded bubbly. "Yeah! That would be great!"

The two were interrupted by the ringing of Yuu's phone. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out, seeing a text message from Konomi. _'Something's wrong.'_ It read. Yuu glanced up at her friend, stowing away her phone.

"Listen, Hinako, I'm sorry for asking you to do this for the umpteenth time but-"

"You want me to take them to the daycare with me, right?"

"Yes, if it's no trouble."

"Of course not! Do what you have to do. I'll look after them, don't worry."

"Thanks, Hinako." She put some money in her hand for her brothers' toys. "Sorry about this!" Yuu turned and ran out of the store without a second thought, leaving Hinako to glanced down at the money in wonderment. _"What does she have to do… I wonder?"_

"Huh? Hinako-san? Where is Onee-chan?" One of the boys walked up to Hinako and asked. The other two, hearing the proposed question, walked up beside their brother and looked up to Hinako for answers.

"Um..." Hinako awkwardly began, unsure of what to say exactly. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled down at them. "Onee-chan had something she has to do so you guys will be hanging out with me for a little while! We're gonna have fun, me and you guys."

"So… Onee-chan left?" The boys looked down sadly, each a mirror of the other.

"Oh, but s-she'll be back! She'll be back real soon, I promise!" The triplets didn't look convinced and simply exchanged looks of doubt amongst each other.

* * *

Akemi walked out of the police station, having just finished answering their many questions. When she had be called to the hospital after hearing what happened to her father, she couldn't bear to look under the white sheet he was blanketed with. The police had requested she answer a few of their questions ranging from "Did he have any enemies" to "Do you know anyone who might have done this". She stopped on the sidewalk, standing outside of the station and just stared at the ground blankly.

" _Once again… My family… has been taken from me with the bullets of a gun…"_ Without warning, an image of her father flew through her head. A kind image with him smiling and hugging his daughter, kissing her on the cheek. _"Don't cry… Don't cry..."_ She told herself, squeezing her thigh painfully. She exhaled, knowing she would have to deal with the funeral arrangements and watch another parent be dropped into the ground. She nearly looked away in disgust at seeing, from her peripheral vision, Aranami and his son walking up to her.

"Fujino-san!" He greeted louder than she would have liked. "I've just heard what happened. I'm so sorry to hear of your loss."

"Thank you, sir." She replied politely.

"This is my son, Taisei Aranami."

She bowed politely in greeting. "Nice to meet you. I'm Akemi Fujino."

"A pleasure, Fujino-san." The tall, white haired, pale-faced boy replied. He had a strange glint reflecting off his eye, something that made Akemi queasy. "I'm sorry to hear about your father. I heard about his work with my dad and he seemed to be a very hard worker."

"Thank you… Um, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."

"Oh, of course." Aranami replied quickly. "Please, don't let us hold you up."

"Goodbye, Aranami-san. Nice meeting you, Taisei-san."

Fujino rushed off, happy to be away from them. Taisei watched her run away, smiling to himself, his face resembling a fox. His eyes remained fixed on her until she was out of his sight. _"Hmm… Look's like little red riding hood… has lost her grandma..."_ He licked his lips. _"My, what smooth skin you have."_

* * *

"A plan?" Miki repeated.

"Tsurugi-sensei," Arashi began with a cough, "When you killed that man, you found a phone, correct?"

"That's right." She affirmed.

"I think that man was the Red Vixen's lieutenant… if the Red Vixen is truly working for the Batman, then if we could trace her location with it, we could find his location. They seem to use a special phone that only connects to her server so, it should work."

"I see..." Miki reached into her back pocket and pulled out the phone, glancing at Oriha, who looked up at her. Miki grimaced, sympathy washing over her for the poor girl. She walked over to her, kneeling down to her eye level.

"Oriha… Listen, I know it's hard to move past what happened last night. However… we can't let that stop us. _You_ can't let that stop you. We know you know a bit about computers and… we need your help." Miki held out the phone. "Can you try it? For Sensei's sake?"

Oriha closed her eyes and exhaled slowly before reopening them, showing determination in her light purple eyes. She nodded and took the phone. She stood and began walking over to a laptop sitting on the couch. She put the laptop in her lap and began working.

"If Oriha can trace the signal back, it's crucial you interrogate the Red Vixen using that truth serum you developed, Tsurugi-sensei. It's likely that they're not keeping Mochizuki-sensei in their hideout. In order to keep the Batman occupied, we may have to do something which we won't be proud of doing..."

"Like what?" Yuko asked.

"We have the location of the hideout. We can leak it to the criminal organizations all over the city. They will send all types of firepower to try and eliminate the Batman. We can use this – while they're trying to do that, we'll destroy their base, force any members he has to scramble and hope that they kill each other. In order to keep the chaos contained, we'll have both Yuko-sensei and Hitsugi-san positioned on different ends of the area. They can excise any tumors that try to escape. Once Tsurugi-sensei and Mikoto have extracted the information, Oriha can travel and retrieve Fiona and Mochizuki-sensei. When all is said and done, Oriha… you can destroy the facility and have the police deal with the rest of the criminals."

"I see…" Yuko contemplated. "That could work..."

"I hope so..." Arashi began getting out of bed, his body violently coughing as he did so.

"Arashi! What are you doing?" Yuko exclaimed, pushing him back into bed.

"I'm fine..." He panted. "I want to see the doctor… When we rescue him..."

"Listen, Arashi," Mikoto started, walking up to the bed. "We got this! Your plan is solid, just leave it to us to execute it. You can't do anything the way you are. You'll only help us by resting."

"She's right." Miki chimed.

Arashi sighed and laid back down, pulling the covers over him.

"I did it! I traced it back!" Oriha exclaimed proudly, pumping her fist in the air.

"Good..." Arashi coughed, relaxing his head on his pillow. "Yuko-sensei… I'll leave the rest to you."

"Right. Good job, Arashi. Rest easy now."

Oriha clenched her fist, her face steeled. _"Payback time… Now, we know where you are. We're coming for you, Sensei!"_

* * *

The elevator to the Batcave came down, Yuu standing on it. She jumped off and ran up to the computer where Konomi sat with Nao standing beside her, smoking. In Yuu's hand was Bruce's broken cellphone.

"Konomi, I found it!" She handed her the phone, the red-haired computer whiz looking it over.

"I thought so… the tracking device on his phone went offline. This had to have happened not too long ago…"

"What happened to him?! Did someone take him?!"

"Calm down, Hunter." Konomi replied, her eyes still on the phone.

"But-!"

"She's right, kid." Nao responded, blowing out her smoke. "Did the Bat teach you to panic at times like this? Thinking about this with a cool and collected manner is the only way we're gonna save him."

Konomi glanced up at Nao, her eyebrow raised slightly. "'We'? I'm surprised to hear you actually care."

"No offense, but if the Bat dies, my chances for safety and protection are next to none with just you two." She inhaled her smoke again before blowing out softly. "If he dies, I'm doomed. Securing his life insurances my own safety. That's all."

Konomi turned her chair back to the computer screen. "I can have detectives from the police station comb the crime scene, see what they can find. More than likely, he was kidnapped by someone who made sure not to leave _too_ much evidence. At the very least, nothing that can be pinned on them. With the phone and anything else there, it can just seem like a random fight in the street. It happens in the city enough, especially around that area. Still, we can use the police for this..."

"What about that detective, Benzaiten?" Yuu suggested. "Ryu-kun didn't tell us much about them, in respect for their identity, but if he was working with him, do you think this person can be trusted?"

"Hmm… I wonder..." Nao thoughtfully remarked. "Did the Bat not tell you guys out of respect for a person he barely knows or perhaps, he just trusted himself with that information more than you two?"

Konomi turned her head over her shoulder, glaring at Nao. If one could see her green pupils, you would swear they resembled a snake's. _"Shut up."_

Nao just raised her hands as a sign of peace, though the small smirk on her face remained. Konomi turned back to the computer screen, sighing with contemplation. After a moment, she sighed again and bowed her head in defeat.

"Call him..."

Nao took out her phone and began dialing a phone number, putting the phone on speaker. It rang several times before an answer was heard.

 _'Vixen.'_

"It's been a while, Benzaiten."

 _'Why are you calling me?'_

"Listen, this time around, I need your services… the Batman's gone missing."

There was a slight pause in the moment until the disguised voice was heard again. _'When?'_

"About an hour ago, near Central Square. We found his phone but it was broken. There was nothing else… right?" Nao glanced at Yuu.

"Just a broken bat. I didn't see anything else other than that."

 _'I see… The only person who would gain from this kidnapping is Tobishiro, the man Komori used to fund.'_

Yuu's and Konomi's eyes widened when they heard Benzaiten speak Batman's name. Nao just smirked. "You deduced it, huh?"

 _'Yes. I've deduced who he is and who his associates are. Konomi Suzue and Yuu Momokino. My deducing this has allowed your previous plan against Black Label to succeed as knowing your identity, Suzue, has placed you in control of the police. I even know who you are, Vixen. Or should I say… Nao Sakurada?'_

Konomi just stared at the phone in shock, Yuu was gaping and Nao shook her head, the smirk still on her face. "Why do I get the feeling you've known that for awhile… Akemi?"

"Akemi?" Yuu and Konomi repeated in unison.

 _'Now that everyone's identity is out in the open, shall we get back to the topic at hand?'_ Her voice was no longer disguised. _'Like I said earlier, it's very likely he was captured Kyoji Tobishiro. It's also very likely that Rouga Shiro, his business partner, was kidnapped as well, considering Komori was operating as the Batman for the night and a few hours after that. If that is the case, we should assume they are both being held captive somewhere in the city, in one of Tobishiro's facilities.'_

"That's a pretty good guess… Yeah, we should do that." Konomi said, turning her chair back to the computer screen and began typing. _"Why? Why didn't he tell me about her?"_

 _'Well then, I'll leave the rest to you.'_

Akemi turned off the communication line, sitting back in her chair. She turned her head upon hearing the entrance to the room open, her maid, Memma, walking in.

"My lady, do you require anything?"

Akemi looked away, lowering head. "No… thank you."

"Forgive me, your lady!" Memma took a desperate step forward. "If I were there, perhaps, I could've protected your father and-"

"Memma!"

She stopped, staring at Akemi as she stood up and walked over to her. The next moment included Akemi suddenly wrapping her arms around the woman, burying her head in her shoulder.

"It's not your fault… I don't blame you… I know how you feel, not being able to protect my family but… it's not your fault. There's nothing to forgive… I-" Fujino was cut off mid-sentence as her throat choked and her eyes became watery. Memma wrapped her arms around her master, comforting her. The only light came from the computer but Memma could see Fujino's tears as clear as day. She sobbed with her master, unable to do anything more except share her pain.

* * *

 _The boy ran through the alleyway, sprinting full speed. He saw them – two people falling to the ground, blood flying out of their chests. As they fell, the man in front of them was shown holding a gun, smoke spewing out of it. The boy tried to run faster, but his legs felt heavier with each step until the gravity forced him to his knees and he was kneeling at the corpse of their bodies, crying tears of blood. He heard a screech and glanced up to see a red-winged, red eyed black bat flying towards him. It dove down, opened its fangs and bit him in the neck. The boy cried out but no sound escaped his throat. The boy died but didn't die, lived but never lived again._

Bruce opened his eyes with a start, breathing a bit quick. He blinked twice, reacquainting himself with reality. _  
_

"Finally awake, huh?"

Bruce, his hands chained and arms raised over his head, glanced to his right to see Rouga in the same bonds. "Rouga!"

The man groaned, closing his eyes in pain. "Yeah, welcome to the party…"

"Did Tobishiro do this to you?" He looked over his chest, the man's brown skin riddled with lash marks. One could see a tattoo of the sun on his right pectoral.

"That fat bastard is too weak to do anything himself. He had his slave do it for him… I'm fine, though. How are you, man?"

Bruce looked around the room, seeing it was nothing but an empty cell. He and Rouga were shirtless, wearing only their pants and shoes.

"I'm fine, but we have to get out of here."

"How? You a magician or something?" Rouga asked humorously.

"Something." Bruce replied seriously. Rouga looked at him, perplexed but wasn't able to pursue the question as the door to the cell room opened, Tobishiro, with his mask on, and Goryu walking in.

"Welcome, gentlemen. I want to apologize for the rough sleeping conditions I put you under, Komori-san. However, I needed to make sure you would come without a fight." Tobishiro clapped his hands together, chuckling. "Now, I'm going to give you two a once in the lifetime offer – if you two agree, we won't have to horribly torture you to your deaths. If you shut down your businesses and come back to work under me, I will let you go peacefully. After all, it'll show the other business partners that they can't start a business and hope to run it without me."

Bruce and Rouga glanced at each other briefly before nodding.

"No."

"Not gonna happen, ya tub of lard."

Tobishiro angrily slapped both of them in the face, seething. "Fine, you stupid bitches! Goryu!"

"Yes, Kyoji-sama." She took out two blindfolds and began wrapping it around their heads. The chains were undone and two could hear a gun being cocked back.

"Walk." Tobishiro ordered. The two, directed by Goryu, were being led down the corridor. "Well, I suppose if you won't stop your 'holy-than-thou' business venture, than I'll just torture you, maim and kill you, record the whole thing and then send it to my business partners. None of them will think of quitting or trying to take me to the police if they know who they're dealing with."

Rouga and Bruce suddenly stopped and were pushed into a room. The two were then sat down and individually strapped to separate chairs. The blindfolds were removed and the two could see they were now in a bigger room, almost like an emergency, hospital room. The table in front of them held various tools of torture. Goryu strapped on some gloves while Tobishiro stood behind some glass, recording with it a camera, gleeful and giddy.

"And… action!"

* * *

Konomi sat at the computer, inputting commands at the speed of sound. She nearly broke the keys with how fast she typed. Her eyes, not blinking, were glued to the screen, her thoughts focused on one objective.

" _Ryu… please be safe..."_

Unbeknownst to her, Miki and Yuko stood on a building that overlooked the abandoned shipping yard she was under. The two staked it out, planning and waiting.

"Miki."

"Hm?"

"On the news, the other day, when that girl was holding the policemen and women hostage, there was a suspected sniper that took out the girl and a female officer. Tell me… was that you?"

"You figured it out, huh?"

"I'm not going to ask why you did it. I just want to make sure that your loyalty is set, that you realize that we _will_ have to kill him."

There was low sigh followed by a nod. "I know..."

"Good."

 _'Yuko-sensei, all the bombs have been set! I've notified some of the criminal leaders too! The plan is a-go!'_

Yuko nodded. "Begin the operation!"

* * *

A.N.: Hope you've enjoyed the chapter! I also want to let you guys know that updates may stagger a little bit with this story for a little bit because of my other stories I'm working on behind-the-scenes. I won't stop, of course, but I won't be going as hard with the updates as I was last month. This will probably be the last update of this month but I do plan on updating my Batman/Black Cat and Batman/Black Widow stories before the end of the month too, so those who follow it, please look forward to those and for those who are interested, here are the links:

s/11727143/1/Batman-Adventure-Chronicles-The-Alpha-Male

s/11721138/1/Batman-Adventure-Chronicles-War-of-the-Witches

Until next chapter!

Green out.


	20. Chapter 20: The Rescue

A.N.: No, the bat is not Bat-mite in disguise. You'll see what I mean.

* * *

"Kyoji-sama… I've done as you asked. Please… let me see him."

Goryu and Kyoji stood outside the room where she had tortured and abused Rouga and Bruce. Kyoji sighed, tapping his foot on the floor as he contemplated her request. He sighed, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Fine…" He drew out, annoyed and clearly reluctant. "I _suppose_ a deal is a deal, so… I'll take you to see him. Of course, you'll have to wear a blindfold and don't bother trying to remember the car movements because we'll have him moved after you see him." Kyoji turned around and began walking down the hall, snapping his fingers. "Come on, bitch. I don't have all day. Let's go see your daddy."

As he said, Goryu was blindfolded and led into the backseat of a car. The car started up and was soon driving to the destination. Despite his words, Goryu did memorize the road direction, a fleeting hope in her that it would matter. That she could use it. She didn't know how and a large part of her was nagging at her brain for memorizing the car's swerving patterns instead of thinking of what she would say to her father after so long but she couldn't help it. Despite herself, she just couldn't help it.

The car made a hard stop, her body pulled forward but stopped by the seat belt. The door was opened and a male hand roughly grabbed her arm. The hand led her somewhere else, through another few corridors before they stopped and she heard a door open. She was led inside and then, her blindfold was taken off. Her eyes quickly became accustomed to the room and widened happily upon seeing who was behind the bars of the cage she stood in front of – her father. He was a frail man, shorter than her but had a soft look in his blue eyes. He was balding and had liver spots but otherwise seemed healthy.

"Father!" Goryu gasped out, smiling. Her father happily greeted her, hugging his daughter through the bars.

"Goryu-chan! My daughter… my beautiful baby..." He exhaled happily, the relief and joy seen in his eyes.

"Father..." She released him after a long embrace, looking over his figure. "How are they treating you? Are you okay?"

"I am well, Goryu. Your Father may not look it but he has steel in his soul."

"I know..." She smiled sweetly. "I know that better than anybody. It's been so long since they've last let me see you… Almost an entire year. Father… I'm… I'm so sorry..." Tears began building up in her eyes now. "I'm so sorry this is happening to you, that they're doing this to you… Keeping you in this cage like an animal… It's all my fault! It's all my fault and I'm so-"

"Shhh, shhh… My dear daughter..." He softly stroked her cheek, looking into her glossy, purple eyes. "I know they are putting you through difficulty. You do what you do, obey what you are told to do for my sake… Withstand the humiliation, the hate, the pain..." The man's voice began to crack and his lip quivered. "And I… I could not ask for a more dedicated daughter… I-" He sniveled, blinking back tears several times. "I want you to remember that no matter what you do, I will _always_ love you and will _always_ be proud of you… my beautiful, baby girl..."

Goryu smiled wide, tears openly flowing down her face. "Father..."

"Alright, okay. That's enough for today."

A blindfold was thrown over Goryu's eyes and she was once again beginning to get dragged away. "Wait, no! Please!"

"Be safe, Goryu-chan! I love you!" Her father shouted.

"Father!" Dragged out of the door, she heard it shut, once again separating father and daughter.

* * *

Bruce and Rouga panted softly, Bruce's body lurched forward and his head down with Rouga lying back in his chair, his head back and staring at the ceiling, his white hair over his eyes. Having just been put through physical and psychological torture, the two men were weary, tired and were panting.

"So..." Rouga began with a groan. "She was playful, eh?"

"If you're makes jokes in this situation, then you must really be suffering inside."

"Hell yeah I'm suffering… Damn… Aren't you? You going to tell me you were tortured before or something?"

Bruce sighed, sitting up and coughing up blood. His mouth tasted like copper but, having had blood fill his mouth several times in the past, he was used to it.

"Something." Bruce replied mirthfully.

Rouga groaned, chuckling. "You really enjoy that, don't you?"

Bruce shut his eyes, a small smile gracing his face. He breathed through the pain, allowing it to run its course. He knew he couldn't ignore it. _"I have to_ _hand_ _it to her… she knew what she was doing. She knew_ exactly _what she was doing. She made sure the pain was minute enough to where we wouldn't die but would feel for a long time… That look in her eye… I've seen it before on myself… she was repressing her humanity and human emotion to be a monster, to do what she needed to do… I can relate..."_

"How are we going to get out of here?" Rouga wondered.

"Just give me a second." Bruce requested.

"What are you doing?" Rouga turned his head, raising his eyebrow as he watched Bruce.

Bruce began scratching his nails across the palm of his hand until his fake skin came off, revealing a lockpick underneath. He grabbed it with his fingers and then bent his upper body down to pick it up with his teeth, his business partner watching with interest. Bruce then began unlocking his cuffs until, eventually, his right hand was free. He grabbed the pick and repeated the process for his left hand.

"When I was young, I wanted to be just like the Great Houdini. To that end," Bruce unlocked his cuff and then went for his ankles. "I've studied every book about him and the art of escaping from traps. I've trained under talented magicians and learned about how to escape things like this."

"So, you were expecting to get into torture chairs, then?"

"Not especially. Locked water tanks, coffins, you know – the usual death traps." Bruce stood and began walking over to him, looking over the man's tortured body. He grimaced upon seeing that a few of his scars were beginning to look puffish and red around the wound, indicating an infection. "Did they… torture you before I was brought here?"

"Yeah..." Upon seeing Bruce's worried face, Rouga quickly added, "But it hurts far less than it looks, believe me. I've been through a lot worse."

Bruce didn't answer, just began working on the bonds that kept Rouga strapped to the chair. Rouga began to stand up, smiling.

"Ah, freedom… at… last..." He fell over, Bruce catching him in his arms before he hit the ground.

"Rouga! Rouga!" Bruce exclaimed.

Rouga wheezed slightly, holding Bruce's shoulders as he stood on his own two feet. Using the man's shoulders as balance, he steadied himself. His eyes looked heavy, bags forming underneath them.

"I'm fine..." He said, determined and firm, letting go of Bruce's shoulders and standing on his own two feet. "Let's go."

Bruce nodded and the two made their way to the door, crouching by the side. They two nodded to each other before rising up and busting through the door, tackling the two guards outside to the floor and pounding on their face fiercly. Bruce coughed a bit, glancing down on his hand in which he coughed on. He saw blood.

"Are you alright?" Rouga asked, unable to see Bruce's hand.

Bruce quickly wiped his hand on his pants. "I'm fine, Rouga. Let's go."

Bruce and Rouga ran down the hall, stopping on a corner. Bruce took a quick peek before retreating back. "More guards..." He said, out of breath. His vision was dizzy and he was forced to grab the wall to keep himself study. A feeling of nausea nearly overwhelmed but he forced himself to keep it down.

"Ryu… are you okay?" Rouga asked him.

"I'm fine..." Bruce assured weakly.

"Are you sure?" Rouga persisted.

"I said I'm fine." Bruce said again, this time more forcefully.

"Alright..."

Bruce closed his eyes and thought. _"Too weak… I can't fight these guards and protect Rouga at the same time… Interrogating them for the exit of this facility wouldn't work, at least not while Rouga is with me and I can't afford him out of my sight with his condition as bad as it is…"_ Bruce cringed slightly, the pain in the side of his stomach getting to him. _"Our best bet is to find a map or anything of the like..."_

"Come on." Bruce whispered. Rouga, looking pale, nodded and together they snuck past the guards.

"You know, it won't be long before they realize we've escaped." Rouga noted.

"Yeah… Wait… I've got an idea."

"What kind of idea?"

"How good are you at messing somebody up?"

"I grew up poor. Sometimes, you got into fights. What do you want me to do?"

Bruce and Rouga peeked around the corner and nodded to each other in silent agreement. Bruce tapped on the wall twice, loud enough for a guard to hear. The guard walked closer as Bruce prepared himself. Just as the guard prepared to turn the corner did Bruce and Rouga pop up, Bruce muffling the man and Rouga keeping his hand off the gun and taking it away. Bruce put the man in a chokehold, knocking him out before dragging him around the corner. Stripping the guard of his clothes, Bruce grabbed the gun and walked over to another guard.

Rouga watched as Bruce tapped the guard on the shoulder and motioned for the man to follow them. The guard went ahead of Bruce, walking down the hall out of sight of the other guards which allowed Bruce to knock the man out from the back with the butt of his gun. Rouga caught his body and dragged it around the corner, repeating the same process as Bruce. Rouga, now wearing a guard's uniform too, walked back around the corner and stood in the hall with a disguised Bruce. The unconscious bodies were hidden in a nearby bathroom, the two positioned suggestively together in one of the stalls.

Rouga hissed softly, his hand twitching as he resisted the urge to clutch his ribs.

"Rouga?"

"I'm okay..."

"Try to ignore the pain as much as possible. We need to blend in." Bruce informed him.

"You know who I really feel sorry for? Those poor bastards." He motioned to the unconscious guards that got stripped of their uniforms and balaclavas. "I'm sure they're going to have a headache when they wake up. Still, better them than us, I suppose."

Bruce and Rouga turned, beginning their slow stride down the hall.

"By the way," Rouga started, the two still somewhat away from the other patrolling guards. "It's really impressive how you understand how to sneak around and all that."

"Yeah. Several years of sneaking into the kitchen to steal cookies is finally paying off." Bruce replied.

"Hm… I never had cookies as a kid." Rouga stated softly.

Bruce glanced at him, a little surprised. "Really?"

"Well, like I said, we were poor so..."

"Wow… I'm… I'm sorry to hear that, Rouga. That's a shame."

Bruce and Rouga began walking amongst the other guards, blending in as one of them. _"I need to find my way out of here… Damn… these wounds are distracting… I need to find a room with a map_ _of the facility_ _or anything of the like."_

"You two!"

Bruce and Rouga hesitated for a split second, before turning around to face their rather loud and forceful caller. Another guard, the commander from how he carried himself, came up to Bruce and Rouga.

"I want you two to man the surveillance room." He motioned his head in the direction of which it is located. "The two men originally there have moved to another shift. You two will take over, understood?"

Bruce nodded but Rouga made a dramatic salute, prompting the commander to let off a low dismissive wave. "You don't have to do all of that."

The commander walked off and Bruce gave Rouga a look. He just shrugged. With the location of the surveillance room given to them, the duo made their way there, stopping in front of the door. The door itself had a small window which allowed you to see inside the room and was also the only way to see inside the room. The guards, from the angle of their patrol, would not be able to see inside without stepping up to the door and looking through that window. Bruce peered through it, seeing two men at the computer screen. They were on their phones, however, watching obscene pornography. Bruce shook his head and turned around quickly, standing on either side of the door with Rouga as they faced away from it. Guards still walked back and forth so the two men were forced to pretend as if they were actually guarding the room.

" _So, that's the explanation to why we haven't been spotted sooner… I saw the cameras but had no way of taking them down. They would have spotted us earlier but we got lucky… Now, we need to wait until the guards stop patrolling the halls that lead down to this room and then we can take over the room, buying us some more time to escape."_

Bruce felt a light tap on his arm and turned to see Rouga do a rock-paper-scissors motion with his hand. Bruce glanced up at his disguised face and Rouga nodded to him firmly. The rock-paper-scissors motion was something Rouga came up with before meetings. It meant "Let's just bust in and do it!". Its purpose was to give Bruce's business partner more confidence and make him feel more pumped up before every business meeting. Bruce never would've predicted that it would be used a silent communication gesture between the two. Bruce nodded at him in reply and the two quickly glanced right and left to see the guards have all walked their other way on their patrol. With the coast clear for a brief few minutes, Bruce and Rouga walked into the room, closing the door behind them, and alerting the attention of the guards inside. The duo pretended to be nonchalant at first until Bruce and Rouga knocked the men out with their guns. Rouga glanced at the content on their phones and snorted in disgust, throwing the phones to the floor and crushing them beneath his feet. Bruce and Rouga briefly raised their balaclavas as they looked at the screen.

"There's the exit!" Rouga pointed to the top-left screen.

"Alright, I think know how to get out of here now..." He glanced at the bottom-left screen, seeing the room that they had left. It was empty, except for the unconscious guards that were strapped to the chairs Rouga and Bruce were previously in. "Now, we have to do something about this surveillance screen. If someone comes in and sees that screen, they'll know we escaped."

"I know, how about we just play yesterday's footage of the same time?" Rouga suggested.

Bruce smirked at that. "That sounds pretty good. Give me a second to figure out how to work this thing."

Bruce began typing on the computer, changing the current footage to yesterday's. "Now, if someone peeks inside, they won't see if we've escaped. They only way they'll know is if they personally cross by the torture room door."

"So, what about these guys? If someone walks in, they'll see these guys are knocked out."

"Here, give me a hand." Bruce reached down and grabbed a guard, sitting him in his chair. Rouga followed his lead, grabbing the other person and sitting him in a chair too. They positioned the guards' bodies to look as if they were sleeping on the job.

"Where are their phones?" Bruce asked. "If we put their phones in front of them, it will seem like they were slacking off and make the scene more believable."

"Um..." Rouga sheepishly glanced down at the floor. Bruce saw the broken phones and sighed in exasperation. "Sorry, Ryu. It just… irks me, seeing something like that."

"It can't be helped." Bruce threw the phones in the garbage before pulling the balaclava down on his face. "Let's go."

"Right." Rouga pulled down his mask and began walking, when he suddenly stumbled, collapsing on his knees. "Ah!"

Bruce spun around, crouching down and helping Rouga up. "Are you alright?!"

"I-" Rouga quickly pulled up his mask and spat up blood. He coughed hard, clutching his chest.

Bruce gritted his teeth, glancing at the door window. _"That torture is probably affecting him worse than it is me… Those guards will start walking past the door any moment. If they hear him, they may look inside the room."_

Bruce heard light footsteps approaching the door and Rouga's coughing continued to get louder and louder. His head quickly flashed back and forth between the door and Rouga, his mind working quickly to think of something.

BRRR! BRRR!

The light inside the room began flashing red as the intercom voice spoke.

 _'Attention all staff! Attention all staff! The two prisoners have escaped from their cells! It is believed they may be posing as one of the staff! All guards are ordered to take off their balaclavas and report to the commander for re-evaluation!'_

" _Damn it."_

Bruce grabbed the gun and kicked the door out, quickly knocking out the guard that came their way. Bruce forced the pain from that action to lessen in its effect and grabbed Rouga's arm, who was stumbling out of the room, bleeding from his mouth. He put Rouga's arm around his neck and the two began making their way down the hall.

"What are you… doing…?" Rouga asked weakly. His eyelids were half-shut, as if he were ready to fall into unconsciousness at any moment but was fighting it.

"Don't worry. We're getting out of here. I know where the exit is now – it's close. Just hang on, Rouga!"

"No… I'll slow you down… Just… leave me..."

"Stop being melodramatic, you fool." Bruce and Rouga were forced to press against the wall as bullets were shot at them, keeping them pinned there. Bruce's eyes searched wildly for something he could in this situation. He closed his eyes and breathed hard.

" _No other choice… Mother… Father… Please, forgive me… for what I am about to do..."_

Bruce raised the gun and shot at the guard's hand forcing him to drop the weapon. He then aimed a power box behind him and shot it, the blast sending the guard to the ground, unconscious. Bruce and his friend began rushing, making a right around a corner.

"We're almost there… almost there!"

Two guards came from behind them and Rouga shot them in the chest, spraying at them with his rifle. Bruce grimaced but kept moving nonetheless. The two stopped at the exit to see that it was blocked because of a shutter door.

"Damn it!" Bruce exclaimed, turning around. "There has to be another one… but we can't go back to the room nor we can afford to spend time wandering around here… Someone could end up dead." Bruce gritted his teeth, struggling to figure out what to do, when all of a sudden, he saw it. His eyes widened, seeing it hanging from the ceiling and just staring at him. "Rouga… do you see that?"

"See what?"

"Up there! It's going to lead us..."

"I don't… see anything..." He groaned.

"It's flying away! Come on!"

"Wait! I don't understand! What's leading us?"

"The bat, man! The bat!"

Unseen to Rouga, a red eyed, red winged bat with pitch black fur was flying through the hall, leading them down it. A guard came running up to them but Bruce knocked him out by swinging his gun at their hand like a baseball bat. Bruce kept his sight on the flying black mammal, turning wherever it turned. He followed it wide-eyed and attentive, like a lost boy would by its parent. A couple of guards began shooting at them but Bruce shot the gun out of theirs hands, forcing them to run up to Bruce, close-combat style. Bruce kicked the first in the groin, knocking him down and the second he kicked out the knee but stumbled back, the pain of his body slowing him down. Before the guard could recover, Rouga hit the man in the temple with the gun, knocking him out. Rouga then stumbled forward, catching himself on the wall.

"Come on, come on." Bruce draped his friend's arm over his shoulders and then began walking forward again.

" _Where are **you** taking me? Where?!"_

The bat flew, flapping its wings until it turned the corner around another hall. Bruce turned with it and his eyes met a bright light at the end of the hall.

"The exit…!" Rouga exclaimed weakly.

"Come on." Bruce and Rouga hurried down the hall, the two of them coming into the yard outside where cars were kept. Rouga glanced behind them, seeing the glint of an object. Quickly realizing it was the scope of a gun, Rouga pushed Bruce behind him.

"Look out!"

BANG!

The shot fired, hitting Rouga in his lower stomach. Rouga fell back into Bruce, who quickly dove out of the way as rapid fire began firing down the dark corridor.

"Rouga! Rouga!"

No answer came. Bruce lifted Rouga up, ignoring the stinging sensation in his arms. He ran to a car and kicked the window in, knowing the guards were sprinting down the corridor to the outside yard right now. He threw Rouga inside and jumped in, ducking his head as bullets flew past them, breaking the window and nearly hitting Bruce. Bruce quickly jump-started the car and hit the gas, speeding out of the yard and breaking down the gate as they sped away, the guards still shooting after them.

Bruce made an immediate B-line for the hospital, stopping in the parking lot. He grabbed Rouga and rushed inside. Once alert to their condition, the hospital staff went to work securing Rouga in the emergency room. Bruce collapsed to his knees in the waiting room, breathing hard. The nurses began helping him up and getting him into a wheelchair when, suddenly, a loud explosion was heard outside. Shaky, Bruce ran over to the glass doors and saw where the plume of smoke originated. His eyes widened in dread and shock.

" _The Batcave!"_

"Sir! Sir, we need to give you medical attention!"

The nurse tried to pull him away from the door, but, without thinking about it, he knocked her to the ground roughly. He ran over to a cart that was being pulled that had prescription drugs on them and grabbed the bottle he was looking for. The people in the waiting room watched nervously as he downed several painkiller tablets and then ran out the door, making his way to the car. The sun was setting now, the sky orange.

" _Have to make it… Have to make it!"_

* * *

Konomi ran into the computer room, a tray in her hand. She had just come from giving food and comfort to Emi, who was still distant but no longer cold.

Yuu stood at the computer, staring at the screen. "Um… Konomi-san? You may wanna take a look at this..."

Konomi sat the tray down and glanced at the screen, widening her eyes when she saw it. "Oh… my God..."

On the security camera screen, it showed the yard, which the Batcave was located under, filled with criminals and gang bangers. Delinquents, professionals, all types. Some were sitting in vans, others were standing in the crowd, holding torches. Young men, shirtless with tattoos, guns in their hands. Females wearing hockey masks and Uzis.

From behind these rows of criminals and hockey mask wearing girls was a shorter one with pink twin ponytails with a small yellow streak. This girl made her way around the area, discreetly placing explosives around the place. It didn't matter how close they were to the thugs, however, considering they were all black labels. After having done this, the girl pressed her finger to her ear and whispered, "Yuko-sensei, all the bombs have been set! I've notified some of the criminal leaders too! The plan is a-go!"

 _'Begin the operation!'_

Inside the Batcave, Konomi stared at the screen in pure shock. "W-what?"

"What are they doing here?" Yuu asked, baffled.

"Do they know… we're down here? Look!" On the screen, several criminals picked up axes and began picking away at the cargo boxes around the yard.

"This is bad… very, very bad..."

"I'll call the police." Konomi said, typing on the computer.

"The police? Is that a good idea?"

"No choice… There's too many for us to deal with alone. Even the security measures to the base won't be enough. What's going on…? It's not… it's not working! Something's blocking our signal."

"What does this mean?"

"It means _they're_ here." Red Vixen walked up from behind them. Konomi and Yuu turned around as Vixen tossed the buxom red head a 9mm. "You're gonna need that. And kid, you might wanna get suited up or whatever you call it." She cocked her gun back. "They're coming for their leader."

BOOM!

A loud explosion was activated, destroying the roof of the Batcave and sending it falling down below. Criminals in the blast radius were launched all over the place. Some died when it exploded in their faces, others died when the blast sent them flying into buildings or into the sky, only for them to come down hard on the pavement. The criminals that were far enough not to be affected by the blast however, began moving in, shouting and ecstatic, not paying attention to the many body parts of their fellow criminals that lay strewn across the street.

When the Batcave rooftop exploded, the ceiling came down and nearly crushed the three females in the place. It did, however, destroy the Bat-computer. Konomi, disorientated, rose up from the ground, grabbing the gun. The place was dark and the only source of light was the hole that was made in the explosion.

"Vixen? Hunter?" Konomi called out weakly. Her head felt numb and when she reached to her forehead to touch it, she felt warm blood.

"Here..." Hunter replied. Konomi grabbed a flashlight from her pocket, shining her light on Hunter and seeing she was already in her costume.

"How… how did you… change so fast?"

"Ryu-kun taught me how."

"… Okay." Konomi turned around, glancing at the hole. "It's not going to be long before criminals start flooding the place. Look, I have to make sure Emi is okay. Find Vixen in this rubble and take the emergency exit. Understood?"

"But, Ko-"

"Is that _understood?"_

Hunter pursed her lips but said nothing more, simply nodded in compliance. Konomi nodded in return. "Stay safe, Hunter. For Ryu's sake."

Konomi turned and ran off down the opposite corridor. "You too..." Hunter softly replied. She then quickly got to work to finding Vixen, taking out her flashlight and searching through the rubble. "Vixen? Vixen? Vixen, can you hear me? Vixen!"

Outside, the criminals began crossing the street to get into the yard. The explosion site had bodies lying all over the ground and a small part of the next door abandoned building's collapsed rubble on the ground as well.

 _'You and Miki will infiltrate their base, pretending to be one of the criminals. Find one the Red Vixen and get the location of Mochizuki-sensei and Fiona.'_

"Understood..." A disguised Mikoto replied. With a disguised Miki beside her, the two began making their way into the yard.

Mikoto watched as some criminals began peeking into the hole, grinning ferally.

"So, this is where the Batman's been camping out? I guess he's just a man after all. Peek-a-boo," the criminals poked his inside. "I see you."

Hunter glanced up and saw several criminals standing over the hole, aiming guns at her. She quickly dove to cover as the criminals began firing off. As she ducked behind rocks, she saw movement to the right of her peripheral vision. Pushing small rocks off of her, Red Vixen sat up with pain wracking her body.

"Vixen, stay down!"

Widening her eyes, the woman complied when bullets began whizzing their way past them. From above, the criminals standing over the hole waved the rest over.

"Come on! We found the motherfuckers! Ahahah!"

They began jumping in, standing amongst the collapsed ceiling rubble. Some of them began going off in the separate corridors while the rest began exploring the room. One of these people was Mikoto.

Overlooking the chaotic operation, Yuko stood on a rooftop, her white hair flowing in the air with a pinkish hue. "Hitsugi, the criminals are beginning to enter the base but I saw some running away after the explosion. Have you taken care of the ones on your end?"

 _'Yes. I'm dealing with some now.'_

BRRR-RRR-RRRRR!

The sound of Hitsugi's turrets nearly drowned out her own voice as Yuko quickly turned off the comm-link, eager to cut that noise out. Yuko made her way down from the building and stood in the alleyway. Several criminals, those who had witnessed their comrades blown up before their eyes, began running down the alley, scared and too shaken to continue. They stopped upon seeing Yuko, poised and deadly.

"Who the… WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" One of them screamed, frightened and whimpering

Yuko unsheathed her sword and pointed it at them. "You will not be allowed to leave this area. I will excise you here and now."

"What?!"

They never felt a more painless blade touch their skin and they never would again, except in the life afterwards.

In the Batcave, Hunter and Vixen were being pinned down by the oncoming onslaught of criminals, their bullets only being slowed down because of the rubble. Hunter pulled out an arrow and lodged it in her bow, taking aim at the criminals above the hole. She fired the arrow, the projectile detonating in the middle of the hole and blocking their entry with a large electric net.

" _Can't believe I had to waste that…"_ Hunter silently remarked, annoyed.

Mikoto took her revolvers after seeing the hole being closed up from a projectile. She narrowed her eyes and began taking aim at the darkness. The rest of the criminals began spreading out, searching for Hunter and Vixen.

"Are you alright?" Hunter whispered.

Vixen nodded slowly, standing up and pulling out her submachine gun. "Those bastards..." Vixen rose up and began aiming her gun at the criminals that she could see.

"Wait!" Hunter exclaimed. "No!"

It was too late as Vixen had already pulled the trigger, taking the lives of several criminals. The rest, hearing the gunshots, either fired back or ducked to the ground, most doing the latter. Vixen began walking around the rubble, intent on going to the emergency exit.

"Vixen, stop it!"

Mikoto, who was one of the people ducking down, widened her eyes in recognition. _"So that person is Red Vixen? The bitch we need to interrogate?"_ Mikoto pressed her pocket, reassuring herself that the object given to her, a syringe containing Miki's truth serum, was still there.

Vixen made it to the corridor when Hunter shouted, "Wait for me!" From behind cover, several criminals began taking shots at Hunter, forcing her to stay low, and keeping her pinned down. Vixen began aiming for them when some of the others shot at her as well, forcing her to duck.

"Sorry, kid. Every woman for herself." Vixen took off down the direction and once they realized the bullets had stopped completely, all of the criminals rose up and began spraying at Hunter's direction. Mikoto and a few others got up and took off after the Red Vixen.

Konomi busted into the room where Emi was being kept, the girl wildly scurrying away from the door. Konomi was currently wearing a SAT gear suit, specially customized by Bruce himself, just for a situation like this.

"Emi-chan, calm down – it's me!" Konomi removed her helmet, showing the confused girl her face. This calmed her down a little but the frightened look on her face and the wariness in her dark purple eyes remained.

"What's-what's going on?"

"We've been infiltrated. Criminals are coming to kill us and we need to leave now." Taking out a key, Konomi unlocked the handcuffs chaining her to the wall.

"W-what? Aren't we in a prison facility?" Asked a bewildered Emi.

"No. We're in the Batcave." Konomi stated matter-of-factly.

Before Emi could widen her eyes and sputter, two criminals came bursting in, machetes in hand. Emi screamed from their sudden entry as Konomi spun around and shot the two of them in the neck with tranq darts, the sleeping liquid working instantaneously and putting them down. Gunshots could be heard coming from the main room.

"We have to go. I have to keep you safe. I owe your mother that much, at the very least." Konomi glanced behind her, staring Emi right in the eyes. She sympathized with the poor girl, she really did. She was already going through several types of emotional difficulties before this happened and now, she had to deal with the mental strain of processing everything else. Still, Konomi didn't have time to comfort her. She needed to get her out of here, safe and alive. Whatever happens next is whatever happens next.

"I... I..." Emi stuttered, still hopelessly confused and unable to comprehend the events happening so quickly in front of her face.

"Just trust me! I promise, I will protect you!" Putting her helmet back on, Konomi strapped a bulletproof vest on Emi and led her out of the cell, instructing the girl to keep her hand on the suit's belt. Konomi began making her way back down the corridor, criminals sprinting down at her. They shot at her with all types of caliber weapons but the bulky armor made their bullets futile.

"My turn." Switching to rubber bullets, Konomi began firing off at the criminals, knocking them out hard with the bullets. She managed to catch a glimpse of one silhouette taking cover behind a ceiling rubble rock. The dust from the explosion polluted the corridor and made it difficult to pierce through visually.

This person was Miki, holding an assault rifle in her hand. Miki popped out of the corner and began firing at Konomi, who had Emi stay down while she took the brunt of the bullets. What surprised Konomi, however, was how the bullets were chipping away at the armor.

" _Are those armour piercing rounds?!"_

Konomi began acting quickly, shooting back at her target, unsure of who it really was. Miki turned back down into cover, crouched down and laid on her belly, firing at Konomi's armor with her advanced armor-piercing rounds. Konomi switched her gun to the grenade launcher attachment equipped to it and began firing tear gas grenades at her enemy. Miki jumped back upon seeing a grenade land and when it started spewing gas, she quickly put on her gas mask as Konomi began moving forward. Seeing her enemy getting closer, Miki pulled out a flash grenade and threw it to the ground.

BANG!

The loud ring and bright light disorientated Konomi long enough for Miki to come out, holding a powerful shotgun in her hand, and shoot Konomi in the midsection. Konomi fell back with a thud, grunting in pain.

" _Tough armor but it slows the speed of the user..."_ Miki walked over to the fallen woman and slid Konomi's weapon behind her. She bent down and took off the helmet, seeing her face-to-face. Emi sat in the corner, fearful.

"Where is Mochizuki?"

Defiantly, Konomi spat on Miki's gas mask, glaring at her. Miki just sighed and wiped it away with the back of her hand.

"That… was childish. But fine… if you want play it like that," Miki reached in her pocket and pulled out a syringe. "Then it's time to take a timeout."

" _No matter what, survival is the most important thing – stay alive. Kill who you have to, use who you have to but stay alive! That's what I swore I would do. Love, life, puppies… They are all menial to me when it comes to my own self. I'll do what needs to be done, even if what needs to be done is heartless and cold."_ Those were the thoughts currently running through Vixen's mind as she ran toward the exit.

Mikoto chased down Red Vixen, the woman shooting back at her as she ran down the corridor. Prior to properly chasing her, Mikoto had killed the criminals and now, was focused on catching her target who was speedy and in black heels, no less. The bullets whizzed past her, the young girl keeping up the pace. She took out her revolver gun and aimed at Red Vixen. She smirked and mouthed a 'bang' before firing her weapon, hitting the woman in the leg.

Red Vixen fell over, falling on her ample chest. She quickly turned over and began shooting at Mikoto, who expertly dodged the bullets by whipping side-to-side. Mikoto came close enough to kick the gun out of the Vixen's hands and aimed put the barrel of the gun to her forehead.

"You blew up our house and shot our teammate in the stomach. It's been past time for some fucking payback and you know what they say… Payback's a bitch." Mikoto sneered.

Before Mikoto could pull the trigger, she was forced to dodge an incoming arrow from behind that nearly hit her in the neck. Mikoto spun around and instinctively began shooting down the corridor at her enemy. Her enemy, Hunter, had a few cuts on her face and suit but was otherwise no worse for the wear and dodged the bullets that came firing her way. Suppressing her fear and embracing the adrenaline, Hunter stood and aimed her bow at her disguised senior, holding the string of the bow back with an arrow in it.

"Who the fuck are you?" Mikoto demanded.

Hunter remained silent, keeping her bow trained on Mikoto. Red Vixen just looked on, shocked to see Hunter helping her.

Mikoto pulled back the hammer of her gun, loading her next bullet. "Answer the motherfucking question or I'll shoot, bitch. Last chance."

Miki stood up, a dazed Konami coming to. "I appreciate your honesty."

"Leave her alone!" Emi screamed, having built up her rage and courage, and charged Miki. Without even looking, Miki loaded her shotgun with rubber bullets, raised it and shot her in the stomach, launching her onto her back.

"E-Emi..." Konami reached out to her weakly. Pulling out her pistol, she aimed the barrel at Konomi's head. She turned off the safety and narrowed her eyes, focusing her pinpoint sight on the woman's temple.

"Feel blessed… that you ally with _him_." Miki stowed her gun away and glanced towards Emi's way. _"She's that girl who had staged that kidnapping…"_

Miki walked over and lifted the girl up, the rubber bullets having knocked her out. She then contacted her team via comm-link.

"Listen, everyone, I have the location of Mochizuki-sensei. I repeat, I have his location. Follow these coordinates..."

Mikoto nodded slightly as the message came through, turning her attention back to the archer in front of her. Hunter kept her bow steady, though behind her hood, a bead of sweat ran down her head.

"We'll finish this shit next time." Mikoto backed away, keeping her gun pointed at her. The roof above them blew open and a rope came down. Mikoto grabbed it and she was pulled up. All the while, the two girls kept their eye on another until they were out of each other's sight. When Mikoto was gone, Hunter let out a sigh of relief, lowering her bow.

" _Ah… thank goodness..."_

"I don't get it..." Red Vixen stated, sitting up. "Why?"

Hunter didn't answer immediately, instead walking over and checking the woman's wound. She grabbed a small tool and carefully worked on extracting the bullet. After tossing the bullet away, she reached for a bandage from the pouch she had strapped around her leg and wrapped Vixen up.

"Because a certain man taught me to save who I could, no matter who they were. Simple as that."

"Heh..." Hunter draped Vixen's arm around her shoulders and helped her up. The two began walking toward the exit, continuing down the hall. "It was nothing personal… When you grow up on the streets, you learn to leave who you can behind and survive, no matter what it takes… Your group was strong but once it lost the Bat and its base, there was no point in sticking around anymore or putting my neck on the line anymore…"

"Well, you're not on the street anymore. You're with us, like it or not. We agreed to protect you and until that decision is revoked, we'll continue to do so. We're not going to chew you up and leave you lying dead on the sidewalk. We just want to help."

Vixen lowered her head, chuckling to herself. Her chuckling slowly increased into laughter that echoed around the walls. "'Just want to help', eh? Now, _that_ is something I've never been told before in my entire life… You're alright, kid."

"So… does that get me an A in class?"

"Hell no."

"Darn."

The two shared a laugh.

Konomi snapped back to reality, quickly trying and failing to collect her bearings. "Wha-what happened? One moment I was shot… the next..." Konomi pressed a button on her suit and it opened, allowing her to sit up. She grasped her stomach, her abdomen in pain. She remembers dealing with a blast to the stomach but the suit's armor had proved to be strong enough to protect her gut from getting pierced. The cost was the bullet shredded the armor itself, rendering the stomach piece useless. She still felt the blunt force of the attack, however. Her legs shaky, Konomi stood on her feet and looked around, unable to find Emi.

"Emi? Emi? Where did you go… Emi!" Konomi was unable to stay long because she saw criminals running down the corridor. "More?"

She picked up her rifle and fired down at the hall, knocking out a few with her gun. She ran down the hall, keeping an eye out for the girl. "Emi! Emi!"

No sign of her met Konomi's eye. She exhaled, keeping her mind focused. _"Stay calm, Konomi. Stay calm… she's probably not dead. Maybe when I blacked out, she wandered off… I don't know where but hopefully she's still safe."_

* * *

Bruce was forced to put the brakes on the car, stopping several blocks from the yard. The large plume of smoke from the explosion was even more fierce up close, cars honking and people running away from the sounds of gunfire. Police had arrived, attempting to suppress the criminals. Most of the criminals were either shot dead or ran away, to which they were either subtly killed by Yuko or stabbed in the chest by Sayo, who had stopped blasting her machine guns when the police arrived. Unable to continue by car, Bruce stepped out and stumbled to the ground, falling to his knees. He stifled the urge to cough and stood up, running down an alleyway. He made a turn around building, coming upon some stairs that led down to a bank near the river that was underneath an extremely wide bridge. He saw several criminals standing around, pissing in the river and lurking in wait. Bruce sighed, shaking his head quickly. The want to fall down and collapse was getting much greater. He came down and faced the thugs, the criminals taking notice of him and smiling widely.

"Hey, now, you're lookin' a bit worn there, mister."

"Yeah, bro..." The thug began spinning a chain. "Maybe you wanna… sit down."

"Move." Bruce ordered them.

The first thug came at him with a chain, swinging at him. Bruce raised his arm and the chain wrapped itself around it. He grabbed the chain and threw the boy into the river. Another thug jumped onto his back and Bruce spun around, gritting his teeth. He grabbed the thug's head and punched him in the nose several times, before taking hold of his head and flipping him into the water below. The third one managed to tackle him to the ground and tried to push the knife into Bruce's throat. Bruce pressed back against the criminal's wrist, his weak and tired arms giving way to the the pressure. Desperate, Bruce fought through the weakness and twisted the man's wrist, disarming him of the blade before kicking him into the water. Bruce then stood up and began stumbling down on his path.

* * *

SWISH!

Mochizuki raised his head when he heard the sound of a sword cutting through the door. The door opened and in walked Yuko and Oriha.

"Sensei!"

"Mochizuki-sensei!"

"Yuko… Oriha..." He said weakly.

Yuko grimaced. _"How horrible… he tortured them..."_ She cut Mochizuki from his bonds and caught him in her arms. She sat him in the wheelchair she had Oriha bring in. "Sensei? Sensei, can you hear me?"

"Yuko… is that you?"

"Yes, I'm here. We're getting you out of here. You and Fiona."

"Yuko… Thank you… I'm sorry..."

"For what?"

"For ever… doubting your loyalty..."

Yuko just shook her head. "Never mind that. Now, come on."

* * *

Bruce continued down the bank until he came along a pipe opening in the sewer. One of the emergency exits led out into the tunnel and the quickest exit from there was that opening. Water slowly flowed out of the open pipe and into the river. Bruce saw unconscious criminals floating out of the pipe and onto the pile of criminals that lay on the bank. He heard the sound of approaching footsteps and braced himself. He was pleasantly surprised when he saw Hunter and Vixen come at the edge of the pipe instead.

"Hunter!"

She whipped her head to the side upon hearing Bruce's voice, widening her eyes upon seeing his face. "Ryu-kun!"

Hunter and Vixen hopped down from the pipe, using the bodies of criminals as cushion and landed on the bank. Hunter pulled down her face mask and ran up to Bruce, kissing him passionately. He returned it, holding her tightly. Vixen stood on the side, averting the her gaze of their reunion and staring at the river solemnly.

"You're safe..." She said happily, stroking his cheek.

Bruce nodded, glancing up at the pipe. "They retaliated, didn't they? Black Label, I mean."

Yuu sadly nodded, lowering her head. He put his finger under her chin and raised it back up, looking her in the eye. "We'll be alright… we're not dead yet."

She smiled at him and hugged him tightly. He ignored the sudden instinct to push her away from his pained, injured body and embraced her softly.

"Where's Konomi?" Bruce asked after releasing her.

"I don't know." Yuu replied. "She told me to take this emergency exit so I assumed after she got Kazuma, she would take the other one."

"I see..."

"She's alright. I know she is." Yuu assured him.

"Yeah, I know she is." Vixen stated, motioning behind them.

"Ryu!"

Bruce spun around to see Konomi sprinting towards him. He grinned, he couldn't help it, and ran to her, meeting her halfway and she joyfully embraced him when they met. The two, weak but ecstatic, collapsed on their knees, holding each other. Konomi couldn't stop laughing nor could she stop smiling as she left light kisses on Bruce's face and neck. Bruce just maintained his small smile, holding her in his arms.

* * *

The door to the hotel opened and Black Label, in their civilian garb, returned to their room, wheeling Mochizuki in. Fiona was sent to a hospital to deal with the internal bleeding that came about from Batman's torture. The police and Black Label managed to cut the criminal force down enough to make the last few retreat.

Currently, the police were supposed to be investigating the wrecked Batcave but Hijiri mysteriously ordered them to leave the crime scene. Yuko decided she would have a word with him about that later but what was important at the moment was getting Mochizuki to a safe place.

"I see..." Mochizuki said weakly, an oxygen mask on his mouth. "So Arashi planned this?"

"He did, yes. I had to execute it due to his sickly nature but his mind is growing sharper, Doctor." Yuko told him.

"Good… Good..."

Mikoto walked into the bedroom, turning on the lamp light and widened her eyes. "Wha..."

"What is it, Mikoto?" Miki called from the next room.

"Arashi… He's… He's… gone!"

* * *

Arashi stumbled through the tunnel, holding the wall for balance. He felt sickly and weak. His mind was weary, dizzy. Nauseated and the feeling like his lung was going to come up through his throat, the boy made his way to the East side river bank on the other side of town. It was nighttime now, the moon shining in full glory. It reflected beautifully off of the river, like a celestial mirror. Arashi collapsed, his brown hair falling over his face and he glared at the ground, his determined self refusing to let him stay on his knees. He picked himself up and began walking along the river.

"I know you're here..." Arashi said. His knees wanted so badly to buckle under him but he refused them the pleasure. He refused **him** the pleasure. "I know you're watching me… Show yourself… SHOW YOURSELF!"

" **Hello, Arashi."**

He spun around wildly, glaring daggers at the being that stood before him – the Batman in all of his glory.

Arashi panted heavily, his chest going up and down in each, exaggerated motion. "You… _You_ … hurt her… attacked her house and burned the memories of her mother to the ground… You're working with the woman who destroyed a hospital for a persona vendetta, hurting the city in the process..." Arashi stumbled over to Batman, grabbing his cowl. "Tell me! What do you fight for? You claim justice but it's a lie… All of it…"

Batman grabbed the boy's head and pushed him to the ground, Arashi too weak to resist. On his back, the boy groaned in pain, his body unable to take the impact it made on the ground. He rose up with a grunt, glaring up at Batman who simply stood there.

"What is your justice about?" He panted. "Tell me! How did it start… With tragedy?"

Batman never responded.

"With pain? Fear? Anger? You attack us and hunt us as if we are criminals… Maybe we are criminals. But if we, those who attack people who bully others, are criminals… then you, who kidnap elderly men and burn the houses of girls are a criminal too… you're not different from us… you're a criminal as well, working outside the law. You're a black label… and I _will_ stop you..."

Arashi pounced forward, punching Batman in the face. Batman lurched back, wiping his chin. Arashi kicked him in the stomach but Batman took the hit and grabbed boy's leg, lifting him up and then throwing him to the ground. Arashi landed on stomach, coughing a small bit of blood. Before he could get up, Batman put his foot on the back of Arashi's head.

" **You attack me for another reason. It's not because I'm a criminal, that I do what I do or that I oppose your leader. You attack me because I'm everything you're not. I'm your superior and like a dog threatened, you can't handle it."**

"Shut up!" Arashi gritted his teeth, struggling to raise his head. "I don't care… who the hell you think you are…! I… will… SURPASS YOU!" Arashi raised his head, causing Batman to stumble back. Arashi placed his hands on the ground and his weight on his hands before kicking Batman in the stomach. Arashi rolled forward and spun around as Batman pounced him, punching at his face. Arashi crossed his arms and blocked the attack, skidding back from its power. The pain wracking from Arashi's body started to affect him again as he doubled over, clutching his stomach.

" _No…! Not again..."_

Batman stood over him now, glowering down at him. **"Enough."** Batman kneed the boy in the face, knocking him on his back. Arashi held his nose, looking at him.

" **My justice is tempered by allowing the criminals plaguing the city to fester, to continue to grow, break out of jail and wreak havoc again. I will forever exact my justice, destroying anyone who opposed this. You are inferior; how dare you get in my way!"**

"No!" Arashi rose up, standing on his two feet. His body was hunched over, giving him an animalistic air about him. "You got in _my_ way! You made my friends cry, attacked my leader and got in the way of his ideals! You and your damn justice are in _my_ way! I _will_ take you down, with every ounce of my being… I swear this upon my best friend's grave. No matter what, I _will_ avenge their tears!" Arashi charged forward, tackling Batman into the water. They dived further, Batman and Arashi maintaining tense eye contact. It ended with Batman fading away into a dark, ghostly mist that dispersed behind Arashi.

Above the boy, hanging beneath the bridge and over the water was a small black bat. This bat had glowing red eyes and when it opened its wings, they were blood red. The bat was rare, never having before been seen in Tobioka City. An odd expression on its face could be faintly seen – the animal looked as if it had a pleased smirk as it flew deep into the night.

* * *

Fujino watched the television that was set up in her kitchen, sitting in her evening kimono and sipping warm tea. Her maid was washing dishes.

 _'A large gang war was seen taking place today at the abandoned shipment yard. Rumors have surfaced that it was the lair of the Batman, a terrorist who was been responsible for blowing up several police stations throughout the city. Strangely, the police have not investigated the area and the police captain has offered no reason as to why. The area has been closed off and restricted from public view. Dozens of criminals lay grotesquely on the street as-'_

Fujino set her tea down, sitting her cheek in her hand. "Good… I suspected that Black Label attacked Batman in retaliation… With the police unable to investigate, it should buy him time to destroy any equipment that could pin him in a situation he doesn't want to be in."

"You have such great forethought, Fujino-sama." Her maid complimented her.

"Thank you, Memma. I-" Fujino was cut off by the sound of a loud, fast beeping sound. She furrowed her brow but then widened them in speedy recognition. "Memma, get dow-"

BOOM!

* * *

"Taisei-sama, the bomb has detonated."

The boy cackled hysterically, nearly falling back in his chair with laughter. "Good, good! Now… run, little girl, run!"

* * *

A.N.: Chapter 20 is finally done! Please forgive me if I made any errors. It's a long chapter so I may have missed some things. That was a long write, trust that. 100,000 words now, too. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying this fic and all its twists and turns. I hope you'll continue to stick with it as progresses. So, please let me know what you thought as reviews are always nice and actually encourage me to update a story more often, believe it or not. Thanks for reading and supporting and as always, see ya next chapter.

Green out.


	21. Chapter 21: Aftermath

A.N.: IMPORTANT: Sorry for the long wait! This has been a long time coming but sorry it wasn't here sooner. Now, the reason is because I've been doing other things, more specifically with writing for money so its been hard to balance that and this and the other things I need to do. Due to that job and life in general, my Fanfiction updates will be slower and I may only be updating one story a week or in general. Probably this one, but I don't know yet. It doesn't mean I'll stop (NEVER!) but it does mean it'll be slower. Nevertheless, please keep reviewing, faving, following, adding to communities and having your friends read it and all that good stuff! It's good to see the reviews and to know that people are enjoying it. So, without further ado, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

The deafening sound of the explosion still ringing in her ears, Akemi struggled to sit up. Blood slid down her forehead, her hair messily over her face. Her kitchen wall was in pieces all over the floor and small bits of rubble atop of her body.

"Fujino-sama! Fujino-sama! Are you okay? Fujino-sama!"

Like a door had opened, Akemi snapped back from her breath, mental numbness and quickly realized Memma was helping her up, no worse for wear herself. The two were forced to duck when two armed men ran into the room. They only wore bullet proof vests and visors.

"Fujino-sama, please get to the garage safely." Memma requested, pulling out a handgun. She stood up and shot the two men in the head.

"I can't just-"

"Please, my lady!" Memma pleaded.

Akemi bit her lip, staring up at Memma for several seconds. "Alright." She said finally but quickly added, "But I'm not leaving the driveway until I see you in the passenger seat. Understand?"

Memma smiled. "Yes, my lady."

Fujino sprinted for the garage while Memma covered her, shooting at the armed killers who tried to come in through the hole in the wall. One of them had snuck in from another entrance and attempted to grab Memma from behind but the purple-haired maid proved to be too agile and flexible, kicking the man in the nose before elbowing him in the gut. After he released her, she fired back at him without even looking, killing him with blow to the head. Another man quickly sprang out from behind cover and shot at Memma. The bullet whizzed toward her speedily, zipping at an angle and taking out her eye. The bullet made a cut under her temple before lodging itself in the wall. Though in severe pain, Memma ducked down quickly and grabbed her eye, blood flowing freely. She gritted her teeth but refused to let the pain get to her and began reloading her weapon.

"I don't care who you are… I won't allow you to hurt Fujino-sama!"

Akemi burst through the garage door, closing it behind her. She pulled out the keys from her kimono and unlocked the car via the button. Before she could approach it however, a man sprang from behind a tower of cardboard boxes and aimed his rifle in her direction.

"Hands in the air!"

Akemi complied, holding up her hands with the keychain looped around her thumb. The man walked up to her and reached out to grab the key. In a flash, Akemi flicked her wrist and brought out a small knife from her sleeve before slashing at the man's hand, forcing him to drop his weapon. Cringing and grabbing his hand, the man grunted before tackling Akemi to the floor. Struggling against him, she used the keys to cut him across the cheek, causing him to recoil back. She then followed up by kicking him in the groin. Squealing in pain, the man fell backward and held his little soldiers. Fujino scrambled up and held her knife. The brief thought of killing him entered her mind but she quickly banished it. Instead, she grabbed his gun and knocked him out with the butt of it. Gasping and panting, she glanced down at the weapon in her hand and threw it to the ground in disgust. She then ran over to the car, opening the door and starting the engine.

Right on cue, Memma crashed through the door and jumped into the car, shutting the door quickly whilst holding her bloody eye.

"Memma, what happened to your eye?!" Akemi exclaimed.

"Please, not now, my lady! You must drive! Drive!"

Deciding to heed that advice, Akemi stepped on the gas pedal and drove out of the garage, the door having just finished opening. On the yard, a few armed men remained and released rapid gunfire at the escaping women. Ducking down, Akemi drove forward, crashed through the gate and escaped the estate.

One of the armed men activated their comm-link. "Sir, they've escaped. Should we pursue?"

 _'No.'_ Came the snaky voice on the other line. _'Little red riding hood is running somewhere else now but I think I drew_ his _attention.'_

"Who?"

 _'Heheheh…'_

The other line hung up, leaving the man confused.

* * *

Arashi's eyes fluttered open to see a room ceiling. Slightly disorientated, the boy sat up slowly, his messy hair flopping over his face.

" _A different room… where am I?"_

"Oh, good, he's up." Mikoto walked into the room and slapped him in the back of his head.

"Ow!" He exclaimed.

"Wise move, idiot, leaving the hotel like that."

Miki walked into the room along with Mochizuki and Oriha.

"Ara-chin!" She exclaimed, running up to the bed. "Are you alright?"

"What were you thinking, leaving the room, Arashi?" Miki asked, her hands on her hips.

He smiled, scratching head sheepishly. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to worry you."

Mochizuki rolled up to his bedside, looking him over. "It's good to see you alive and well."

"You too, Sensei."

Mochizuki turned to the members of Black Label and said, "Could you please give Arashi and me the room?"

"Yes, doctor." Miki replied, leading the girls out.

Alone in the bedroom, Mochizuki turned back to Arashi, a small smile on his face. "It is good to see you well, young man."

Arashi nodded respectfully. "You as well, Mochizuki-sensei."

"I heard you were the one who orchestrated the plan to destroy the Batman's base and rescue me. You have my gratitude for this. Your plan also impressed me. Truth be told, I never knew you were so… tactical."

"I didn't either..." Arashi admitted. "It's strange… Only recently, I've begun to notice a flux in my body. So soon after taking the drug you ordered me to take, I was able to move again and now, I feel less sore than I did before. My mind feels as if it is working a hundred times faster than it ever did. I can see possibilities I've never thought I'd see, think steps ahead I didn't think I was able to think through. Even my ability to move feels enhanced… as if I'm lighter somehow."

Throughout his description of his body, Mochizuki observed Arashi carefully. "That drug..." Mochizuki began slowly, drawing Arashi's attention. "It's very possible that its side effects are… different with you. I figured that if you drew those side effects, I would be able to treat you but… your body and the chemicals running through it seem to be doing something else to you. I don't know what it is and I'll have to research your cells and blood further but you may be changing… for the better..."

Arashi glanced down at his hand in puzzlement. "For the better…?"

Though he didn't say anything, Ryuu sat by him, staring at Arashi's hand as well. He glanced at Arashi's face before glancing back down at the hand again.

"Well, we'll have to deal with that later. Can you walk?"

"Yes, sir." Arashi replied, stepping out of his bed and standing on his own two feet. He wobbled slightly but remained firm, nodding when he was ready to walk. The two entered into the other room, where the rest of Black Label sat except Ran.

"I want to congratulate you, members of Black Label, and offer you my thanks. Even with our base destroyed and me in the hands of the enemy, you still functioned as one, strong and united. I am proud… of all of you. However, even though our enemy has lost his base of operations, we cannot assume that he will cease all activity. He will still remain vigilant and so should we. We will have to remain discreet and operate under several roofs to keep our enemy guessing as to our whereabouts.

"It is best we still maintain our public identity at this moment, even with the risks involved. We can't let any other groups know of our identities. Far too many know already." Mochizuki turned to Mikoto and Arashi. "You two will resume your school curriculum. Maintaining appearances in school and keeping up your studies is important. We can also keep an eye on the Red Vixen, who, according to Arashi, is a student of hers."

Mochizuki wheeled back and turned to Oriha. "Oriha, you will continue your music career. It is especially important that you continue to maintain appearances, as a public figure disappearing would create suspicion."

His face then turned to Yuko, Miki and Sayo. "After the repairs on the hospital finish, we will go back there for medical work only. Our base will remain as it is. We will continue to meet in different hotels, varying them as much as possible until the secret base I've been constructing on the side is finished. We will rebuild and come back ready to face all threats."

"Doctor," Yuko began, standing up. "Miki has acquired something of particular interest during the raid on the Batman's base."

"Oh?"

* * *

Emi slowly opened her eyes, her blurry vision unable to make out what was before her properly. When she did, she saw that she was in a room of some sort, trapped behind a cage. Beyond the bars, she saw a very small, square window in what looks to be a large door but she was too weak to move or talk. Her mind was unable to stay conscious for long and she eventually passed out again but not before catching a brief glimpse of someone peeking through the window.

Outside of the door, Mochizuki wheeled away from the private storage room Emi was being kept in and rolled over to the railing that overlooked the river.

"Who is she?"

"She is the one who orchestrated the police kidnapping some time ago. We believed the Batman captured her in an attempt to rehabilitate her." Yuko tucked a stray strand of her flowing brown hair behind her ear and continued. "Miki's reasoning was, if we were correct, that you would feel better having this girl away from the Batman's influences."

"You are correct… it would be my greatest desire to help this young woman..."

Yuko's gaze rested on him for a moment as she quickly realized he had words still hanging in the air. "But?"

Mochizuki's entire body language was now stiff and tense, his eyes never leaving the sight of the river. "Yuko… we may have to do something we're not proud of with this girl."

Yuko furrowed her brow, her gaze becoming one of suspicion. "What do you mean, Doctor?" She cautiously asked.

"Yuko… there's something you need to know and I need you to promise me that you will tell no one."

Yuko inhaled sharply before nodding firmly. "I promise."

Mochizuki sighed before turning around to look at her, a guilty glint in his eye. "Listen..."

* * *

"What?! Are you fuckin' serious?! How?!"

"W-we don't know, sir! They escaped somehow and managed to give us the slip."

Kyoji Tobishiro was not happy. He was not happy at all. More than that, he was beyond righteously _pissed_ that the people he hired to keep Rouga and Bruce inside his facility have failed to do their task properly.

"Damn you, you stupid bastards!" Kyoji angrily stomped on the ground, his teeth grinding against each other. His fists were clenched tightly enough that they seemed white, veins were popping out of his neck and his nostrils were flaring in an extremely exaggerated motion. "Ugh! Now, if those guys go to the cops, I'll go to jail! Where are they?! Where are Komori and Shiro?!"

"We don't know, sir. We've found the car they escaped in but it was parked in front of the large disaster downtown between the gangs. We think they ditched it."

"Agh!" Kyoji screamed and hissed.

"Kyoji-sama, if Komori and Shiro have yet to approach the police, perhaps it means that they are unable to because of medical reasons. They could be in a hospital." Goryu politely suggested.

"Shut up!" Kyoji back-slapped her angrily. "If I needed your half-washed ideas, I'd ask for them."

"Yes, Kyoji-sama. Please forgive my insolence..." She muttered obediently, looking away from him.

"Now, let me think…" Kyoji began pacing back and forth. "If those two haven't gotten to the police yet, it could mean that they're too injured to get to them so they went to a hospital instead… If I could find them, I could finish them before they say shit."

"Rest assured, sir," The commanding guard said, "We will absolutely put our best efforts in capturing these men and killing them."

"Mhm..." Kyoji dismissively replied. "Goryu, be a dear and kill them all."

Goryu, slightly taken aback by the sudden request, quickly remembered her father. His face popped vividly in her mind and soon, only his life and his safety became her priority. She stifled her apprehension and nodded steadily, her eyes taking on a emotionless look. She took out her two signature weapons and stalked forward, the guards shrieking and stumbling back in terror.

"Understood, my master."

* * *

Arashi stood in the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror. He eyed himself closely, staring all over his shirtless body. He couldn't understand it – he was no longer pale, the pain was gone and he felt better than ever.

" _I don't get it… What's going on inside my body?"_

"Maybe your body chemistry was altered in some way." Ryuu suggested.

"Even if that's true… It doesn't explain how I feel so… altered. And in a good way… I don't understand it. What is Mochizuki-sensei not telling me?!"

"Arashi, my father saved your life and gave me the ability to live on through you. If he does know something, he's keeping it hidden for a good reason. Trust in him."

Arashi sighed, lowering his head. His hair shadowed his eyes and Ryuu just stared at him in confusion. "Arashi?"

Arashi began breathing heavily before he reached into a drawer and pulled out a knife. In one fast motion, he gave a deep cut to the back of his hand and held it over the sink, letting it bleed. He watched the wound carefully, his hand tingling but his self-discipline keeping it from shaking at all. The blood continued to drip for several seconds before the flow suddenly coming to a halt. Arashi's breath hitched when he saw this but his eyes widened when he saw the wound on his hand spontaneously heal.

The boy continued staring at his hand for several minutes, Ryuu staying quiet and simply observed him. _"What the hell… is happening to me?"_

* * *

"Ugh..." Bruce was softly laid on the bed with the help of his inamoratas, Konomi and Yuu. They laid him down softly, his topless body covered in bandages. He winced softly, draping his arms over his eyes as he lay in pain. Yuu kneeled by him and rubbed his shoulder in comfort while Konomi gave him a look of loving sympathy.

"We should stay here and help you..." Yuu whispered softly, kissing him on the forehead.

"No." Bruce replied, his voice coming off as a croak. "Go home. Your brothers need your attendance."

"No, I can stay a little bit..."

"Go home, Hunter." Bruce said, a little more firmly this time. Yuu bit her lip, reluctant to leave him but nodded. She rose up and left the area.

Nao entered the room, taking off her red coat and throwing it into the corner. "It's not much but for now, it's safe. Luckily for you, I still have several safe-houses across the city, including this one."

"We can't stay here forever, though..." Konomi stated.

"Agreed." Bruce replied. "I had setup a third and final location for bases and operations should my main one be compromised. I've finalized it but it's too dangerous to go there now. We'll wait for several days then visit it..."

"That sounds good. I hate to leave you, Ryu but I have to make an appearance at work. I'll be back as soon as possible."

Bruce nodded. Smiling at him, Konomi leaned down and kissed him softly. She then turned and left, walking out the door as well.

Nao sat down against the wall, leaning her head back. She glanced around the room, scoffing mentally. It was barren as it didn't need any furniture, save for a couch and a bathroom.

"So..." Nao began. "I guess it's just you and me now."

Bruce didn't reply. He simply laid there with his eyes closed, his breath so low you would think he was dead. Then, as if from nowhere, he suddenly said, "Thank you."

The words came so quick that Nao nearly missed them and even then, still had to ask him to repeat them.

"I… appreciate… the fact that you helped us even with our base and resources gone. It shows me that you may be doing this for more reasons than just self-preservation. I apologize for treating you coldly… whether as an acquaintance or otherwise, we'll always consider you an ally."

Nao averted her gaze to the floor, a guilty twinge pressing her chest. "Heh, are you drugged up?"

Bruce let out a weak chuckle. "A little."

Nao lowered her head, burying her face in her legs. "I'm not what you think I am… In the end, I might just betray you to save myself… It's how I am. It's what I grew up to do and it's all I know..."

Bruce studied Nao for a moment before rising up slowly, getting up from the couch. With firm control and willpower, Bruce made it over to where Nao sat and knelt down in front of her. She raised her head upon his beckon but was pleasantly surprised to see an understanding glimmer in the man's blue eyes.

"I don't believe that… You're better than that. Your heart is good and so are your intentions. You don't have to be that way ever again."

The two maintained eye contact for a moment before Nao began leaning in to him, softly kissing him. Bruce responded in kind, holding his hand on the back of her head, softly grasping her light brown hair. Their bodies were close enough for Nao's ample bust to brush against Bruce's chiseled one. Just as the kiss became more passionate, Nao's phone began to ring. She parted from his lips before glancing down and picking up the phone.

"Fujino?"

 _'Sakurada, listen, my home has been compromised. I don't know by whom but I need to ensure the safety of me and my assistant.'_

Nao glanced up at Bruce, who nodded to her assuredly. "Fujino, listen carefully. I'm going to give you a set of coordinates. Rendezvous with me there."

 _'Understood.'_

* * *

Yuu returned home, closing her apartment door behind her. She dropped her keys in the bowl before walking down the hall to her brothers' room. She peeked in through the door to see Hinako sitting by their bed side, as they all shared the same bed, and reading them a story.

"...the end." Hinako finished, smiling down at them sweetly.

One of her brothers wiped their eyes sleepily and stared up at Hinako sadly. "Hinako-san… where is Onee-chan?"

"Oh, well, she's just doing a few errands, that's all. Don't worry, she'll be home real soon."

"Is she going to leave us like our parents did?" Another one asked. That question made Yuu's heart compress in pain.

"No, of course not!" Hinako quickly said, tucking them in. "Your sister loves you very, VERY much and wouldn't leave you guys ever."

The boys didn't respond and instead, just turned over to go to sleep. From the angle Yuu was peeking, she could see one of her brothers wipe his eye and sniffle. She closed the door silently before sighing softly, closing her eyes in deep shame.

* * *

Hijiri sat in the office, his phone in his hand. It had vibrated previously with a text message saying:

 _'We need to talk._

 _YS'_

Hijiri sighed, knowing he wouldn't like that conversation. He heard a knock at his door and saw Konomi come through it. Hijiri leaned back in his chair and regarded her indifferently.

"Suzue."

"Listen, I need a missing person's report filed – her name is Emi Kazuma."

"That's girl's name wasn't made public, I-" He suddenly stopped when a sudden realization hit him. "Oh, right… _you_ would know about it."

" _Oh, yeah. He thinks I'm associated with Syringe. I gotta make sure to play the part or he'll think something is afoot."_ Konomi thought.

"Yes, now enough of the self-righteousness. I need her found. _We_ believe she was abducted by the Iron Mask Gang during the Gang War on Batman crisis. I need her found."

"Yeah, fine." He looked up into her eye, sneering at her. "So how do you sleep at night, hm? Knowing that you and your buddies killed dozens of police officers that day. Even people like Kazuma were made orphans. Do you even care about how they feel?"

The image of Ayaka and her mother's dead body flashed before Konomi's mind, nearly breaking her composure. After a quick breath, she smirked at him devilishly.

"You wanna know how I sleep? On the right. Don't question things too much or you won't like what happens next! Remember that! Evil rules! Muhahahah… Erhm." Awkwardly, Konomi exited the room, leaving Hijiri bewildered.

His phone began vibrating once more. He looked at the Facetime caller and smiled upon seeing it. When he answered the question, a green haired, brown eyed, short woman was on the screen. She lay in covers while wearing red, spiky earphones.

"Hey, honey."

 _'Hijiri-kun! When are you coming home? I've been here all day waiting for you…"_

"Sorry, sweetie, it's going to be a long shift tonight but I'll be home in a few more hours, I swear."

 _'You better not be lying…'_

"Come on, Kaname-chan! Would I ever lie to you?"

* * *

"She's on her way. I'm going to have one of my men pick her up."

Bruce laid back on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. "How did they find you?"

Nao sighed, staring at her phone. "I think they tracked me… I think my associate, Paulo, was murdered when you attacked Black Label's house…"

"I'm sorry." Bruce consoled empathetically.

"I didn't believe it… Or rather, I didn't want to. He was nothing more than a pawn for me but he behaved like a friend. I kept the channel to his line open, hoping to find it. If they found us using that, then it means he's dead..." Nao sighed harder, closing her eyes.

Bruce reached his arm out to her, as if he was going to comfort her but hesitated before retreating his arm back. He returning his gaze to the ceiling.

" _He_ planned it, didn't he?"

"Who?"

"Arashi..."

"I'm not sure. Honestly, it doesn't seem like something he could do."

"It doesn't, does it? But he can…"

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

Nao didn't question it further, just watching him stare up at the ceiling emotionlessly. She wondered where his mind was at this current moment.

* * *

Bruce opened his eyes to see he was _he_ _ **re**_ again. That place in his psyche where he met the boy and the monster. He never knew if he was dreaming, if that was his soul, his subconscious or an illusion but now he stood here. The odd thing about the place was that there were two halves of it – one was completely cloaked in shadow and the other was a bright white. Bruce stood in the middle, half of his body cloaked in darkness and the other in light. The part in shadow had fitted in half of his batsuit but the other half, cloaked in the white light, had him in half of his business suit which, ultimately, formed a paradox in his singular body when comparing him whole. Batman/Bruce looked to his right to see, in the darkness, a terrifying being. This being stayed in the dark, was protected by it and thrived in it. This being could not be seen outside of the darkness as it blended with and was its master. No, rather it was the darkness itself. Its only visible feature was its deadly, red eyes. On the other side, exactly parallel to the monster was a small boy. This boy was eight years old, had black hair, blue eyes and wore a funeral suit. The boy looked sad, solemn but serious, potent and determined at the same time.

" _You suspect it don't you?"_ The boy spoke, his voice being clear but still coming off as whisper.

"Suspect what/ **Suspect what?"**

" **About the boy."** Came the dark, demonic, other worldly response on the dark side.

" _You know what he is, don't you?"_

"I didn't want to believe it/ **I didn't want to believe it."**

" **Of course not. You deny what shows itself in front of you. You know that I have touched him, that my sign has reached beyond worlds and touched _him."_**

" _You suspected it, of course. But denied it, still. You didn't what to think that any incarnation of you could be so abhorrent with life, with Mother's and Father's code, but he was. His tactical mind is growing and the evidence is becoming undeniable."_

" **You know."** The demon's voice reverberated throughout the space, his tone in complete contrast to the soft-spoken boy.

"Yes/ **Yes..."** Came Bruce's/Batman's low reply. "That boy, Arashi Mikami, is the Batman of _this_ world/ **That boy, Arashi Mikami, is the Batman of** _ **this**_ **world."**


	22. Chapter 22: Siblings Forever

"Well, well, long time no see, little brother."

"Shut up. I don't want to hear that from you."

"Heh, just as sour as ever. How are things?"

"Difficult."

"Yes, I've heard things have been going hard for you."

"No thanks to you."

"I've been sitting back and watching. I'm rather excited to see how it all unfolds."

"You won't be for long. Soon as I'm done dealing with this current situation, it's back to business as usual with me coming after your head."

"That sounds fair. Remember the rules, though. We can't directly kill each other or anyone the other man loves until-"

"I know that. I wouldn't be visiting you if I didn't."

"So what is the reason you came to this river bank today?"

"I need _her_ secured somewhere else right now. She's in a vulnerable position and I don't like it. I want you to have her transported to one your secret bases."

"In exchange for what?"

"I've got something for your son. Something he might like."

"Oh?"

"In exchange, you'll help me."

"Hmm… I'm surprised. I never thought you would resort to that."

"I didn't either but my hands are tied and quite frankly, I don't have any other choice."

"Fine. I'll secure our sister but in exchange, you'll have this present sent directly to me."

"Understood."

"Now come on… aren't you going to give your big brother a goodbye hug?"

"Go to hell, you monster."

"Heh… love you too."

* * *

"I win." Bruce taunted, sitting back in his chair. Fujino scoffed before taking a sip of her tea.

"Lucky guess." She retorted.

"There is no luck in this. Only deductive skill."

"Just bring out the next one."

"Takashi Hideki, 45 years old. He was suspected of the murder of several women, mostly prostitutes, but was never implicated. The crime scene shows the blood of the victim splattered in several places." He handed her the paper and Akemi looked it over, scanning it quickly. "The police say that the latest victim was a college student and had worked on a private brothel in the East side of Tobioka City. The other two victims were killed near the area as well, both dumped on far ends of the river." Bruce handed her pictures of the corpses along with a picture of the man.

"Hm..." She stared at this picture strongly. "His hair… he's a lazy and bored man, indicated that he doesn't do many things. His obesity doesn't help contradict that idea either. Probably has a desk job. So, he gets bored easily… Maybe goes home and plays some video games when he feels like it. Then, something snaps, bad memory or maybe something about her reminded him of his abusive mother, and he kills a prostitute after hiring one at a brothel. The exhilaration becomes addicting and he does it again and again.

The first time he did it was sloppy," She looked at the picture of the first victim. "Too messy, too many indications of who did what." She turned her attention to the second.

"Here, it's cleaner… an average detective would conclude that isn't the same person, that the M.O. wasn't consistent but they wouldn't take experience into the consideration. Hideki was perfecting his art… Learning to release these emotions while being discreet. But his refined art is going to be his downfall… He's unknowingly leaving a pattern, making his movements predictable. A simple algorithm could predict the general area he'll kill in next. There," Akemi leaned back in her chair and smiled in confidence. "Beat that."

Bruce took the pictures and met her challenging look with a confident smirk of his own. "Very detailed analysis… but the messy blood pattern is deliberate. I've seen the kind before. It's _meant_ to look that way to throw them off and the progression was meant to have cops or detectives believe that either he was getting better or he was a different person entirely, allowing him to switch his methods every now and again to keep them on their toes. There was no sudden snap. Anyone with that kind of forethought planned this years beforehand. He's a psychopath but his psychosis is forcing him to treat this like some sort of sick game. If we follow the pattern and go from his supposedly unpredictable nature… I can suppose that he'll kill someone in the complete opposite of how he did it. Meaning… a man, old, perhaps in a nursing home in downtown. The best guess would be Yagami's Elderly Center. I'll have Hunter stake the place out and if I'm right, I win again."

"Pure luck." Fujino insisted, pouting.

"How long have they been at this?" From afar, Nao and Memma watched the two figure out the location of criminals with scattered and vague police information and a handful of crime scene photos.

"At least an hour," Memma replied. Her eye had been treated and a white eyepatch was put over the area.

"Damn, it seems like they have the same thinking..."

"No, at certain points, it seemed as if Fujino-sama was superior in deduction but Master Komori is quite adept in the ways of abductive reasoning."

"I have to say, I'm impressed of your… hideout. Inside a clock tower? No one would think of such a thing." Fujino commented. The hideout was small but had a large computer monitor, a few cases for suits, an equipment table, medical bench and a punching bag hanging on the side.

"I know… our hacker and computer expert, Oracle, will be here shortly. For now, we'll have you situated at her apartment with the rest of us."

"Sounds like it will be crowded."

"I'll be spending most of my time here, anyway."

The secret elevator that led up to the hideout was seen ascending from the security cameras, stopping behind the door. Bruce pressed a button on the computer and the door opened, allowing Konomi entry. She walked in, wide-eyed, marveling the new spot from which they would operate from. Just before she could see the new faces in the room, did she lay her eyes on the supercomputer.

"AIIII-YIII!" Like a frog, she leaped forward, stopping in front of the computer monitors and basically drooling over the computer hardware. "OhmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod! Look at this! A model 10 monitor found only in top-secret government agencies and it's right at my fingertips! I think I'm gonna faint..."

"Yes, but before that, meet our guests, won't you?" Bruce's tone had a small hint of amusement to it, while everyone stared at Konomi, comical drops of sweat dripping from their brow.

As if the sudden realization that she was around other people hit her, Konomi slowly turned around, facing Akemi, her maid, and Nao.

"Um… hi." Akemi meekly greeted, almost hesitant to hold her hand out.

"Hi! Sorry about that. I'm Konomi, aka Oracle, and I'm sorry about what happened with your father."

"Thank you. I'm sure he's in a better place now."

"Me too." She turned around to face the computer, running her hands over the keyboard. "When you said that you had built another base, I didn't think you had this puppy here. Too bad that our old base was ruined… I had almost finished cracking some of the most important files on there."

"Good," Bruce replied calmly. "I had set up a fail-safe so that when our sensors detected intruders, the computer in the Batcave would automatically send its contents to this computer. Wherever you left off, you can finish right here. But first, we have to locate the girl."

"I already filed a missing person's report but I don't know if they'll be able to find her."

"It's very likely that Black Label took them," Bruce suggested.

"I don't remember anything that happened after the bullet hit my armor..." Konomi put her fingers to her head, struggling in vain to remember any important details.

"You don't have to," Akemi chimed, "if the police captain is a member of said group."

"Agreed," said Bruce. "He should know whether or not Kazuma lies with her."

 _'Ryu-Kun, Akemi-san, I've located the target. He's where you said, Ryu-kun. Should I engage?'_

Bruce smugly smirked while Akemi rolled her eyes in exasperation. "No, have the police notified and then go home."

* * *

"Gotcha," Hunter replied, stowing away her binoculars. She stood on a rooftop, overlooking the area Bruce had reasoned the killer would be in. She took out her bow and arrow and shot a grappling line projectile before swinging off.

Unbeknownst to Hunter, a pair of eyes watched her from afar, through a pair of their own binoculars.

"Sensei. The target is on the move. Shall I follow?"

 _'Yes, Chikage. Remember – stay out of sight, no matter what. Failure will not be tolerated.'_

"Understood, sir."

Hunter swung through the city, stopping when she was on a rooftop a few buildings from her house. She looked around, making sure no one could see her before stepping into the shadows and pulling off her hood. From behind cover, Chikage continued to watch closely.

Hunter reached up and pulled her mask down, switching out of her costume and into her civilian day uniform. She stuffed her costume in a bag before descending down to the alleyway on the fire escape. Yuu stepping into the streets, nobody else the wiser.

Chikage kept watching the girl until she entered her apartment complex, closing the door behind her.

"Sensei."

 _'What have you got, Chikage?'_

"I know who the Batman's subordinate is. Her name is Yuu Momokino and she goes to my school."

* * *

"I'll be back." Bruce got up slowly, his injuries still bothering him but he refused to let it show. Fujino noticed the subtle limp in his movements but opted out of saying anything.

"I'll be leaving, too." Akemi stood up from her chair, walking over to Bruce. Alerted to her master's statement, Memma voiced her concerns.

"Fujino-sama, is that wise? What about being hunted by the people who destroyed our house?"

"I understand your concerns, Memma, but I have to see to the funeral arrangements of my father. I'm not going to let these people deter me from that."

"But madam-"

"If you are so concerned, you can come with me."

Memma nodded but clearly still disagreed with Akemi's decision. "I understand..."

"She's right, you know," Bruce said. "Those people could attack again. There's no point in bringing you back here only for you to go out and be put at risk."

"I'll be fine. You should worry about your own body, no? I'll have Memma to protect me and precautions will be taken before returning."

"Fine. However, while you're out, I need you to do something for me…" He leaned in and whispered in her ear inaudibly. Konomi watched him with a sense of suspicion.

Fujino nodded. "I understand. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Fujino and Memma left the room, descending from the base on the elevator. Bruce grabbed his coat and threw it on.

"Konomi, continue working on decrypting those files. I need to know what's on them."

"What about Emi?"

"I'm having Akemi take care of it."

"Right…"

"Is something wrong?"

"No, no. I understand."

Bruce nodded before walking off. Just before he left, Nao addressed him.

"Hey," she said. "I've got something interesting for you."

"What's that?"

"It's about Sayo Hitsugi's father. My people have been continually looking into it but Mochizuki knew what he was doing when he scrambled the information to pretty much everywhere. Anyway, remember when I told that Togo was working with Mochizuki?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, well, they broke off some time ago. Not sure why but apparently, Togo was experimenting with drugs and serums. Super serums, to be exact. 'High Jetters' is what they were called. These serums were said to give super strength, agility and endurance."

"So he tested this on his own daughter…"

"Yeah. He died soon after, though, it was never revealed how. That's not the most interesting part, though. The most interesting part was that he had also worked for someone else, some woman."

"Who?"

"The intel is dark on that one. A mysterious high player, though. She wanted those serums used on other people. Whoever she is, she's either a government official or a terrorist cell leader. Maybe both. Basically, what I'm saying is, watch your ass. There's more than just Hitsugi lurking around."

"I know. Thanks."

Nao gave him a small, girlish smile as she watched him leave the base, descending down the tower.

* * *

"Is all of what you told me true, Emi?"

"Yes…" Emi replied drowsily.

Miki stood up and exited the storage facility, closing the door behind her. Outside of the facility stood Yuko with Mochizuki at her side.

"What did you learn, Miki?" Yuko asked her.

"Well… basically… the girl's a super-genius." Miki stated frankly.

"What?"

"Yeah. Her teacher was the famous Soichiro Kazuma."

"The Nobel Prize winning chemist?"

"Yeah. Famous as all living hell. Apparently, he's an old friend of her grandmother and so lived with him for two years when her parents were briefly separated and in that short amount of time, gained an aptitude for how to make all types of chemical weapons. It's amazing how much she knows – she could honestly teach me some things."

"So, she manipulated the police officers using this knowledge?"

"Yep. Pheromone smoke in the gas – instant suggestive state. They couldn't resist her."

"But how did she know there would even be cops?"

"Her parents were cops and they kept a log of future raids they planned to be on. She hacked into their computers and picked a spot to wait on. It didn't matter who the cops were, just that the cops would be there."

"Hm… Interesting." Mochizuki finally sighed, his finger resting beneath his chin in thought. "This is a troublesome venture…"

"Why do you say that?" Miki asked but Mochizuki couldn't hear her. Before she could ask again, Yuko directed her out of his hearing distance.

"Am I missing something?" Miki asked her friend in a hushed tone.

"No," Yuko quickly said, "Just go back to the base. I need to care of something."

"Yuko, if something is going on, we all should know."

"You will. Soon, I hope."

* * *

Bruce walked through the halls of the hospital after finding the door number of where his friend lay. As he neared the door, he saw a police officer stand outside of the door. The officer noticed Bruce and stopped him.

"Excuse me, sir, are you Ryu Komori-san?"

"Yes."

"Please, step inside the room." The police stepped to the side and opened the door, letting Bruce in. Bruce walked inside to see his friend lying in bed with Hijiri sitting by the bedside with a notepad in his hand. A police officer stood behind him.

"Rouga?" Bruce asked.

"Yo, Ryu…"

"You must be Komori-san." Hijiri stood up and put his notepad in his shirt pocket. He held out his hand and shook Bruce's. "My name is Captain Hijiri Hamasaki. We are investigating the attacks that put your friend in the hospital."

"Ah, I see… the man who did this to is nam-"

"Nobody did this to us!" Rouga exclaimed. Bruce turned to Rouga, a confused look on his face.

"Rouga…"

"I've already told you guys… This was the result of a car accident from that gang war, nothing else!"

Hijiri looked toward Bruce for confirmation. Bruce looked down, passing his hand over his face. "Uh, officer? Can you give us a moment, please?"

"Of course." Hijiri motioned to his officer and the two exited the room. "We'll be right outside." They exited the room, closing the door.

"Rouga," Bruce began. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing…" He replied but his gaze was on his sheets.

"You know what happened, Rouga! He tortured you, he tortured me and has more than likely tortured many others. There should be no reason to not put him in prison!"

Rouga's eyes, however, remained away from Bruce's gaze. "Please, just tell them nothing happened… please…" He requested weakly.

Bruce narrowed his eyes, staring at Rouga with scrutiny. "Rouga. Has he threatened you?"

"No…"

"Has he threatened you?!"

"No!"

Bruce sighed, knowing that his friend wouldn't tell him the truth. "Fine… I'll change the statement."

"Thank you…" Rouga replied, his voice coming out with a slight croak. "And… when you do… can you stay for a bit? Lack of visitors tends me to make me feel… you know."

With a low sigh, Bruce nodded before going outside and telling the police that it was simply a car accident which injured them both. Though Hijiri didn't seem to buy it, he accepted it anyway before leaving the two alone in the room.

Closing the door behind him, Bruce walked back in the room and pulled up a chair beside Hijiri, cringing as he sat down in it.

"I'm surprised you can still walk. You got hurt pretty badly too but you seem better off."

"Yeah…" _"The fight with Black Label and the torture from Goryu is taking its toll…"_

"Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"When we were escaping from the base… you said that the 'Batman' was leading you… but I didn't see a thing."

"No, it… it wasn't the 'Batman'. I was hallucinating… I think. It's what helped me find a way out."

"Huh… I guess you should hallucinate more often."

"I guess so."

"Thanks for coming over, man. I don't have many friends or relatives in this city so… it means a lot."

"Me neither. You saved my life, anyway… I can't believe you took that bullet for me."

"Well, you'd do the same for me, right?"

Bruce smiled at him. "Without a second thought."

* * *

Outside of the hospital, Hijiri stood with his policemen. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he fished it out, grimacing when he saw the caller I.D.

" _Damn it… the shadow again?"_

Before he could answer, he looked up at the sound of someone in high heels approaching him. "Hijiri-kun," Yuko addressed him. "We need to talk."

The policeman behind him let out low whistles and smiles but Hijiri ignored them, following Yuko some little ways off from them.

"Yes?"

"I need to know what is going on with you." She said, her voice strict. "You've been ignoring our calls and ordering strange things. If you're double-crossing us-"

"No! That's not what I'm doing at all!"

"Then what?"

"I… I can't say."

"Listen, either get it together and obey orders or we _will_ be forced to take action against you. Don't make us turn you into our enemy, Hijiri. We all love you." Her voice was gentle but the subtle hint of finality could easily be perceived. With that final warning, Yuko walked away, leaving Hijiri looking shamefully to the ground.

"Damn it…" He cursed, balling his fist and slamming against his thigh.

* * *

Back in the clocktower, Konomi sat at the computer, speedily typing. Her tongue was peeking slightly from her mouth but her eyes demonstrated focus as she deciphered the data.

" _Nearly there… nearly there… After decrypting so many dummy files, I feel like this is the one! Wait for it… Yes! I got it!"_

"Alright," she said, the pride evident in her demeanor. Nao, who sat a few feet from her, just shook her head in amusement. "Let's see what we got."

After only several scrolls, her eyes widened immensely. In her surprise of the new revelation, she sprang up from her chair and leaned in closer to the screen, as if the information would change the closer she became.

"Oh, my God… oh, my God!"

"What is it?" Nao rushed to the screen, stopping short at the text she saw. "Are you kidding me? Is this real? No way…"

"I can't believe this…" Konomi whispered breathlessly. "Masamune Mochizuki and Jotaru Tobishiro… are brothers!"

* * *

A.N.: Finally, an update! Yeah, sorry for the long wait but, as I said, updates would be _way_ slower than before but I won't stop updating, though. Also, for all who are wondering, I do receive PMs, but I just generally don't reply because prefer reading things in my review section. Doesn't mean I never will, I just don't. I do read them, though. Anyway, I'm rushing this out because I have other projects to get to but I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Let me know with a review and until next chapter, baby.

Green out.


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